At least 9 people die of 'strange' disease in Liberia

By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh

MONROVIA, Liberia (AA) - At least nine people have died of a "strange disease" in southeastern Liberia, said the country's chief medical officer, Dr. Francis Kateh.

Katey said medical teams in the country were conducting laboratory tests on specimens collected from the nine victims to determine the cause of the disease.

Meanwhile, eight other people were said to be in isolation while four people who attended the funeral of a dead relative were being asked to turn themselves in to health authorities.

“I am asking the four people who attended the funeral and returned to Monrovia to please inform the health provider if they are experiencing any signs and symptoms,” Kateh said.

The Ministry of Health said the dead victims had suffered from three of the symptoms that were associated with the Ebola virus before their deaths.

In 2014, the Ebola virus outbreak started in a similar manner. The spread of the virus caused 4,000 deaths in Liberia alone.