Sierra Leone launches house to house search to stop spike in Ebola cases

A two-week house to house search began Wednesday in the Port Loki District of Sierra Leone, some 100 kilometers from the capital Freetown, a local journalist said.

Most of the confirmed cases are reported in the Lokomasama chiefdom in the district. The journalist told Xinhua by telephone that the spike in the cases prompted the district Ebola response team, the British contingent in the area and other stakeholders including local authorities to discuss the social mobilisation strategy to contain the spread of the virus.

Over 30 Ebola related deaths are reported in the area in a week. The increase has been attributed to secret burials and the hiding of the sick.

It is further reported that the disease is said to have transmitted by a traditional healer who treated a patient from Freetown, the capital. The healer is said to have died later.

Meanwhile, the Ebola Treatment Center at Mabesseneh in Bombali, the headquarter city of the northern region, has been closed and the last survivor discharged.

The move to close the center is in line with the government's efforts to gradually shot down all centers attached to hospitals to allow the facilities to take care of other related health care issues.

The center was opened last year, and it admitted 161 patients, recording a survival rate of 106. The medical team comprised of Ugandans, Ethiopians, Burundians and D.R Congolese supported by 300 local staff from the Ministry of Health.

The center has since been decontaminated. The AU staff have been deployed to other areas. Endi