Sierra Leone's capital Freetown has suffered a fresh outbreak of Ebola,
dashing hopes that health authorities in the densely-populated city of 1.2
million had beaten the deadly epidemic.
The government's National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) told AFP late on
Tuesday three cases had emerged in the east-end slum of Magazine Wharf -- three
weeks after the last known infections in the capital.
Health officials said six people have been under
observation since the first of the new cases -- a casual labourer -- tested
positive on June 17.
Authorities are concerned that the case could lead to a
mini-outbreak in the overcrowded fishing community, which has poor sanitation
and is regularly hit by outbreaks of malaria and cholera.
Liberia was declared Ebola-free in May, but hopes that
neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea would quickly follow suit have been dashed
recently, with the weekly toll of infections in the two countries hovering
around 25.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned earlier this month
that the retreat of the virus "that was apparent throughout April and
early May has stalled".
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