IPNEWS-MONROVIA: The World Health Organization has issued an alert for six countries to watch out for potential Ebola cases after fresh outbreaks in Guinea and Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday, February 16.

Guinea declared a new Ebola outbreak on Sunday in the first resurgence of the disease there since the 2013-2016 outbreak, while the Democratic Republic of Congo reported a resurgence of the virus on Sunday, Feb. 7.

“We have already alerted the six countries around, including of course Sierra Leone and Liberia, and they are moving very fast to prepare and be ready and to look for any potential infection,” the WHO’s Margaret Harris told a Geneva briefing. She did not specify the other countries.

Harris added that health authorities had identified close to 300 Ebola contacts in the Congo outbreak and around 109 in Guinea.

Gene sequencing of Ebola samples from both Congo and Guinea to learn more about origins of new outbreaks and identify the strains was under way, she said.

“We don’t know if this is down to Ebola persisting in the human population or if it’s simply moving again from the animal population but the genetic sequencing that’s ongoing will help with that information,” she said.

Meanwhile, President George Manneh Weah has mandated health authorities in Liberia to heighten the country’s surveillance and preparedness against the deadly Ebola virus importation.

The Government of Liberia in a release stated that following the President’s mandate for active surveillance, the Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and partners began preparing across the length and breadth of the country with focus on the counties boarding neighboring Guinea. Surveillance and respond systems set up in the counties during the previous outbreak are being re-awakened with technical support from the national team (NPHIL, MOH, partners).

The government reiterated that currently there no Ebola case has been found in Liberia.

The release stated, however, that the Ministry of Health was encouraging all Liberians and others to continue the preventive measures including, washing of hands, social distancing, and avoid shaking hands. “Please continue to ware your face mask. We encourage all communities along the boarders to enforce the prevention methods of Ebola virus.”

“The joint team of the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia will keep the public aware as information unfolds.”

“Liberia will continue to work with our neighbors in the Mano River Basin (Guinea, and Serra Leone) to collectively fight the Ebola Virus .”

“We have defeated Ebola before, and we together can defeat Ebola this time.

Amid WHO warning, the Government of Sierra Leone is investigating a suspected case of deadly virus involving one of its soldiers of the 14 Battalion stationed in Pujehun. In the district’s Rapid Response Team’s (RRT) report, it is reported: “The Pujehun surveillance team received an alert this morning 11:50 a.m., through 117 of the suspect case at the 14 Battalion, Kpanga Chiefdom, Pujehun and RRT was immediately set to investigate the case.”

“A 55-year-old military man attached at the 14 Battalion, Pujehun Division who as admitted at the Battalion clinic on the 15/02/21 following a two-day history of fever, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, malaise and hermetemesis (active even at the time of the investigation). He has no travel history outside of the country but upon investigation, had travelled to Freetown on 01/02/2021 and stayed to the 09/02/2021 at 14 Coker Street in Wellington in Freetown. He within this period attended a 40th day ceremony of a friend. He returned on 09/02/2021 to Pujehun and was relatively fine before symptoms started.”

According to the Sierra Leonean health authorities, the soldier, whose name is yet to be released, has a history of Peptic Ulcer disease and is binge alcoholic. They report that he is presently in isolation and receiving treatment.

They disclosed that sample has already been sent to laboratory in Freetown as they continue to carry out their investigation.