UNIFICATION CITY, Margibi – Health authorities in Liberia have announced a new confirmed Ebola case in Margibi County. The head of Liberia’s Incident Management System Tolbert Nyenswah told UNMIL Radio in Monrovia on Tuesday that Abraham Memeigar, a 17-years-old died on Sunday, June 28 at his father’s residence in Unification City.

Nyenswah said specimens extracted from the victim were confirmed Ebola positive following severe medical tests. He said about 28 persons had been quarantined for being in direct contact with Memeigar before he died.

Further, he pointed out that health authorities in the country were properly handling the case to ensure that it is put under control. He assured the public that the ministry had a rapid response to the situation.

“Number one, we did the test [for Ebola], number two, there was safe burial that took place, number three we listed all the contacts and reactivated the county health team’s response,” he said.

Nyenswah also said health authorities were on top of the situation, and there was no need to panic. “This is something we know how to deal with,” he said.

According to Nyenswah, the country can handle the situation quickly. However, he cautioned every citizen and resident of Liberia to observe every preventive measure to remain on a safe side.

Also speaking on Tuesday, Health Minister Bernice Dahn said the government will continue surveillance at all entry points including land and air. She also suggested that the government will need the help of the community and stressed caution.

“Keep all sick people and bury all dead bodies properly,” she warned. Dahn maintained that people will continue to cross the borders to do their businesses.

According to a Bush Chicken investigation, the victim became sick in Nedowein, a town on the Roberts Field-Monrovia Highway. He was later transferred to his father’s residence in Unification City where he later died.  He was an eleventh-grade student at the R.S. Caulfield Public School in Unification City.

Prior to being confirmed of Ebola, Memeigar’s death was alleged to have been caused by him eating a dead dog. According to the unconfirmed reports, Memaigar and some colleagues ate a dead dog whose cause of death is unknown. At the same time, The Bush Chicken is yet to establish information about Memeigar’s colleagues’ whereabouts.

Similarly, in August last year, near thirty persons died in Dolo Town, a community in Lower Margibi near the Unification City of Ebola. Their death was initially blamed on food poisoning by people in the community because they had allegedly eaten at a meal of a church sister’s daughter. The cause of their death was later confirmed to be Ebola. The situation led the community to be quarantined for nearly one month during the state of emergency.

Meanwhile, the recent case of confirmed Ebola has brought fears to many residents of Lower Margibi, who witnessed and felt the impact of the Ebola virus.

Nyenswah encouraged dwellers of the victim’s community to continue supporting the afflicted family. “Ebola is not spread through the air,” he said.

Liberia reported its first Ebola case in March 2014 in Lofa and was believed to have come from Neighboring Guinea where the virus was reported first. In regards to the concerns about the open borders, Nyenswah told journalists that other preventive measures will remain in force.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Margibi are yet to speak officially on the matter. However, there are unconfirmed reports that the county Local Ebola Taskforce of has announced that it will hold an emergency meeting to make a public pronouncement.

Zeze Ballah and Zoquay Beysolow contributed to this article. Featured image courtesy of Zeze Ballah.