13 Dead From Unexplained Illness In Liberia

A mysterious illness has killed 13 people and sickened 30 others in Liberia since April 23, according to the World Health Organization. Dr. Alex Gasasira, the WHO’s representative in Liberia, told HuffPost on Saturday that while authorities have not found the “smoking gun” of what has caused the unexplained illnesses and deaths in Sinoe County, Grand Bassa County and the capital city of Monrovia, all signs seem to point to an accidental “poisoning event” of some sort. The WHO said on Friday that all tests have come back negative for Ebola or Lassa fever. Of those that have died, 12 attended the funeral on April 22 or wake the night before for a religious leader in Sinoe County. One lived in the same house as people that had attended the wake or funeral, Dr. Francis Kateh, Liberia’s deputy health minister and chief medical officer, told HuffPost. Only one person of the 30 who fell ill remains hospitalized, and she is expected to recover, Kateh said. “Much of everything is pointing to this poisoning event, but we have not entirely ruled out the possibility of an infectious process,” Gasasira said. “Clinical signs are not completely classical with any common chemical that we have seen as being poisonous in the past, so we continue to follow all leads.” Gasasira and Kateh said authorities believe that tea drunk at the wake and funeral may be the culprit, as those that consumed the tea have shown an increased as...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news