Sierra Leone Ebola Death Toll Doubles To 12 In A Week'

Sierra Leone says its death toll from the contagious Ebola
virus has doubled in one week, with hopes of containing the
outbreak fading.

Health ministry officials said at least 12 people had been
killed by the deadly virus, up from six last week.
They say the confirmed deaths were in the east, near the
border with Guinea - the epicentre of the outbreak that has
killed more than 200 people this year.

There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola - one of the world's
deadliest viruses.
The impoverished west African nation confirmed its first
deaths from Ebola two weeks ago
.

Dr Amara Jambai, the director of disease prevention and
control at Sierra Leone's health ministry, announced on
Monday that the deaths in the east were mainly in the
Kailahun district.
There are now 42 confirmed cases from 113 people tested,
with new cases recorded in the northern district of Kambia,
she added.

She said that the disease was spreading as local authorities
were struggling to control the movement of people,
according to Reuters news agency.
Guinea has been worst-affected, with some 328 cases - 193
of which have been confirmed by laboratory The latest
figures follow warnings by health authorities and aid
agencies in West Africa that the deadly virus is continuing
to spread in the region, with Ebola reported in areas where
there had been no new cases in more than 40 days.

The World Health Organisation and Medecins Sans
Frontieres say this could be down to the resistance of
certain communities to medical aid, with some people
refusing to go to hospital and others turning to traditional
healers instead.

Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever, can kill up to 90% of those
infected and is passed on through contact with the fluids of
infected people or animals, such as urine, sweat and blood.
But people have a better chance of surviving if it is
identified early and they receive medical attention.
In Liberia, there have been 12 suspected cases of Ebola,
with nine deaths.

Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and
central nervous system damage
Fatality rate can reach 90%
Incubation period is two to 21 days
There is no vaccine or cure
Supportive care such as rehydrating
patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting
can help recovery
Fruit bats are considered to be the natural
host of the virus BBC