The Ministry of Health (MOH) has issued an alert to all its agencies under its jurisdiction to increase surveillance following the emergence of a “strange” disease in Liberia.
The strange disease which is yet to be identified has already claimed 11 lives in Liberia, while at least nine more people have been infected by the disease.
According to the Ministry of Interior, “The symptoms reported by the victims mainly are headache, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, mental confusion, abdominal pain and fever” but initial tests has revealed that the disease is not Ebola.
A memo issued to all concerned agencies of the Ministry of Health said the Ministry of the Interior had advised the MOH to increase disease surveillance at all levels of the national health system to prevent the spread of the strange disease.
The Interior Ministry underscored the need to promote infection prevention and control mechanism at health facilities as part of preparations to prevent the spread of the unknown disease to Ghana through the borders and the airport.
The Liberian Health Minister, Ms Bernice Dahn, is reported to have said blood samples had been sent for analysis to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.
The Liberian Health Authorities suspect that the disease was transmitted through body contact.
