Ebola Death Toll Rises In Sierra Leone After Virus Thought To Be Contained

Medical burials reportedly were underway for 30 new deaths on Tuesday in a mountainous area where the virus was thought to have been defeated.

A worker is decontaminated during an Ebola training session held in Madrid.

Susana Vera / Reuters

A Red Cross burial team responded Tuesday to 30 new deaths from Ebola in a mountainous area of Sierra Leone where the virus was thought to be contained, The Guardian reported.

Koinadugu, a region of remote villages, was the last Ebola-free district in Sierra Leone, due in part to a number of local prevention and quarantine measures. The virus did eventually come to the area, however, though not in the numbers other regions faced. As of Friday, the World Health Organization has confirmed 3,778 cases of Ebola in the country and 1,510 deaths.

In September, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies appealed for $42.8 million in funding for its Ebola response in Sierra Leone.

"The number of casualties is virtually doubling on a weekly basis," an IFRC blog post said. "With Sierra Leonean healthcare services stretched beyond their capacity, and a population living in a climate of fear, the Red Cross' ability to respond is imperative."

Since then, one group estimated the rate of infection to be nine times higher. In early September, Sierra Leone experienced about 1.3 Ebola cases every day, the Africa Governance Initiative said. As of late October, about 12 new cases are reported in the country each day.

from BuzzFeed - Breaking http://ift.tt/1seJnfu