A school in Liberia closed due to the outbreak. Yahoo/AFP
AFP reporters visited a village effected by the Ebola virus and found victims abandoned by everyone. The report documents the experience of a family infected with the virus. The first victim was the father of the family who succumbed to the virus before aid workers could arrive. Then the mother and 12 year old daughter got sick as well. When the AFP crew arrived the daughter was locked away with the body of her dead mother without food or water only hours before succumbing herself. The only survivor was a 15 year old son who tested negative for the virus but is still shunned by the community, which is in turn shunned by other communities after the villagers fled the area.
My Comment:
A heartbreaking story about the utter misery this disease is causing. I've heard before that even survivors are being shunned and attacked and that victims bodies are being left in the streets. The human toll of this disease is unreal and it is being compounded by fear and suspicion. To be fair to the villagers, I would be terrified to help these people without proper equipment as well. Plus it's clear that the government failed this family. I wonder how many other cases like this there are? Any number is too many.
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