Ebola outbreak 'threatens Liberia's national existence'

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9 September 2014 Last updated at 17:27 ET

Ebola outbreak 'threatens Liberia's national existence'

Liberia is facing a "serious threat" to its national existence as the deadly Ebola virus "spreads like wildfire" there, its defence minister says.
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"The deadly Ebola virus has caused a disruption of the normal functioning of our state," he said.

Separately on Tuesday, the UN's envoy in Liberia said that at least 160 Liberian health workers had contracted the disease and half of them had died.

Karin Landgren described the outbreak as a "latter-day plague" that was growing exponentially.

She added that health workers were operating without proper protective equipment, training or pay, in comments to the UN Security Council.

"Liberians are facing their gravest threat since their war," Ms Landgren said.
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29136594

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Ebola outbreak 'threatens Liberia's national existence'

Thursday 11 Sep 2014

The terrifying mathematics of Ebola
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Given the rate at which the virus is spreading, it says the virus will soon be having an ?apocalyptic? impact on the country and its neighbours unless there is a dramatic increase in international assistance.

?It could get very bad indeed,? said Prof John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. ?And I mean you can?t rule out some sort of nightmare doomsday scenario.?
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The leading epidemiologist is studying the spread of the virus in Monrovia, where the outbreak is now most intense. He has told Channel 4 News that based on the current rate of spread and lack of power to control it, it has the potential to infect the majority of the population of the country.
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?The doubling time of this epidemic is about two weeks, so if we are overwhelmed with our resources right now, it?s going to be twice as bad in two weeks? time.?
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http://blogs.channel4.com/tom-clarke-on-science/terrifying-mathematics-ebola/1329

 

[tetano]

Re: Ebola outbreak 'threatens Liberia's national existence'

Ebola is ?devouring everything in its path.? Could it lead to Liberia?s collapse?

With Ebola's death toll surging and a top United Nations official declaring that "the rate of acceleration is now picking up dramatically," Liberian officials have been making dire pronouncements about the deepening crisis in their country.

At a news conference Thursday, finance minister Amara Konneh said Liberia is at "war with an enemy we don't see." Two days earlier, the Ebola-ravaged country's defense minister, Brownie Samukai, delivered a harrowing warning of his own.

"Liberia is facing a serious threat to its national existence," Samukai told the U.N. Security Council. "The deadly Ebola virus has caused a disruption of the normal functioning of our state."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-its-path-could-it-lead-to-liberias-collapse/