Liberia's health minister confirms first case of Ebola fever

Two of the five blood samples sent to Lyons, France for testing are positive, refuting last week's claim of no Ebola virus in Liberia, the West African country's minister of health Walter T. Gwenigale said on Monday. "Now of the two samples one has already died in Foya, Lofa County and the other the sister of the dead person. This sister was the one looking after the diseased when she fell sick. Blood from her, too, tested positive," Gwenigale told reporters in Monrovia, the country's capital city. At least five persons suspected to have contracted the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Lofa County, northern Liberia, have been confirmed dead. He said worries are now focused on the surviving sister of the deceased as she reportedly travelled from Lofa to Firestone Rubber Plantation in Margibi County and likely interacted with several persons along the way and those people may have been affected too. The ministry of health last week said it has compiled a budget of 1.2 million U.S. dollars to help contain the spread of the Ebola virus in the country. The money would be used to cover the daily subsistence allowance for health workers in the suspected counties, fuel and gasoline for vehicles and generators and protective gears for health workers. Symptoms of Ebola contraction include sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash impaired kidney and liver function as well as internal and external bleeding.