Sierra Leone Chief Doctor Sheik Umar Khan, who has treated more than 100 patients infected with Ebola, has contracted the deadly virus himself. It’s unclear of how Dr. Khan contracted the virus, as he religiously wore special footwear, overalls, gloves, and masks. Three nurses who worked alongside the doctor have died from the virus.
Dr. Khan was named a “national hero” by the health ministry for his work against the virus. There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, the virus that has claimed 206 lives in the west African country, Sierra Leone. The disease kills up to 90 percent of those it infects, although the rate of mortality for the current outbreak is 60 percent.
[Image: Reuters]
The Ebola outbreak began in southeast Guinea in February and has spread across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and 632 people have died from the illness. The outbreak is putting a great strain on the health systems of some of Africa’s poorest countries.
Symptoms of the highly infectious disease are diarrhea, vomiting, and internal and external bleeding.