A Hong Kong man returning from Nigeria has tested negative for the lethal Ebola virus, easing fears the pathogen is poised for a world-wide strike. The news comes as a second shipment of humanitarian supplies left China for the afflicted regions in west Africa.

As reported by the Xinhua News Angency, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent messages of sympathy to the leaders of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the three countries most affected by the outbreak. As of Aug. 6, The World Health Organization confirmed 1,779 cases of Ebola and 961 deaths in the region. 

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International aid has been pouring into the Ebola "hot zone" as local officials admit they are completely overwhelmed by the scope of the disease. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf publicly apologized to her nation on August 10th for her government's failure to contain the virus. She declared a state of emergency on August 7th, warning that some civil liberties may have to be suspended in order to lessen infection rates.

After decades of civil war or government corruption, the medical infrastructure of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia is at best basic but often lacking entirely. Two American medical personnel infected with the disease were airlifted for treatment in Atlanta last week, with positive results. 

Spread through personal contact, Ebola is a viral hemmoragic fever with a kill-rate of up to 90 percent. Past outbreaks, almost all of which have occured in central Africa, were characterized as striking remote settlements whose isolated geography acted as a break against larger infection. In contrast, the 2014 west African outbreak appeared in major population centers, promoting a wildfire-like spred. With an incubation period of up to 21 days, a victim can board a plane or ship and unknowingly carry the virus to a new population. Such was feared in the case in Hong Kong. 

On the positive side, world health officials have noted that simple fear of Ebola has led to a persistant high level of vigilance and clinical suspicion worldwide. Sensitized to any health-related issue increases the likelihood that the outbreak's spred will be slowed, if not stoped. 

TagsAfrica