Concern worker dies in suspected Ebola case
The aid agency Concern has announced that one of its Liberian workers has died, after displaying symptoms of Ebola.
Definitive results on the cause of 42-year-old Dauda Konneh's death are expected in the next few days.
Concern said it was "deeply saddened" by the news. The agency added it was supporting Mr Konneh's wife and two children at this "difficult" time.
Mr Konneh, 42, was Concern’s community development officer for construction in Liberia.
In a statement, Concern said: "Suspecting ebola, he attempted to register at the local emergency ebola testing unit centre last Friday. Sadly, he died overnight. Definitive results on the cause of Mr Konneh’s death are expected in the next few days."
Concern’s staff are not frontline responders in the Ebola crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone and so
team members are not in direct contact with suspected Ebola cases during their working situation.
However, Ebola is present in ever increasing numbers within the neighbourhoods where many of Concern's staff live. Ebola is particularly prevalent in Liberia where the health systems are overwhelmed.
Meanwhile another Irish agency, Goal, has appealed for medical workers to join them in their Ebola treatment centres in Liberia.
It comes as new figures from the US predict the virus could infect 1.4 million people in west Africa by January.
Senior manager Darren Hanniffy, speaking from Liberia, said their crews were stretched in their efforts to tackle the virus.
"We have not had the support that we have required…We don’t have enough funding. We have extended our resources repeatedly and have even given our own vehicles to local health centres to help with the collection and disposal of bodies.
"But this is drastic action by a small Irish organisation when what is required is international action."
