Ebola virus identified as source of deadly epidemic in Guinea

Experts in Guinea had been unable to identify the highly contagious disease, whose symptoms – diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding – were first observed six weeks ago but scientists in the French city of Lyon confirmed it was Ebola, the Guinean health ministry said, AFP reported on Saturday. “We got the first results from Lyon yesterday (Friday) who informed us of the presence of the Ebola virus as the cause of this outbreak,” Sakoba Keita, the ministry’s chief disease prevention officer said. “Up to today we have identified 49 cases with 34 deaths in four prefectures.” To date, no treatment or vaccine is available for Ebola, which kills between 25 and 90 percent of those who fall sick, depending on the strain of the virus, according to the WHO. The disease is transmitted by direct contact with blood, faeces or sweat, or by sexual contact or unprotected handling of contaminated corpses. Medical aid group Doctors Without...