Ganta, Nimba County – Well being authorities in Liberia have quarantined greater than 20 folks in Ganta, Nimba County following the demise of a Turkish nationwide initially suspected of getting Ebola.
By Franklin Doloquee and Selma Lomax
The response, which incorporates navy deployment and strict enforcement of well being protocols, has stirred public concern — even because the Nationwide Public Well being Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) confirmed that no Ebola or Marburg virus was detected in laboratory checks.
In accordance with the Nimba County Well being Workforce, the Turkish nationwide, whose id has not but been disclosed, was a crew member who reportedly died out of the blue at sea close to Maryland County.
His physique was being transported to Monrovia when well being authorities in Ganta intercepted the car carrying the stays and flagged the incident as a possible Ebola case. The suspected case instantly triggered emergency protocols, together with the quarantine of greater than 20 people.
These quarantined embrace staff at Gompa Funeral Residence, passengers within the taxi that transported the physique, and the funeral residence’s proprietor, David Mulbeh. Army officers from the Gbarnga Regional Hub had been deployed in Ganta to implement compliance and forestall any doable unfold of an infection. Specimens from the deceased had been subsequently despatched to Monrovia for laboratory evaluation.
On Tuesday, September 10, the Nationwide Public Well being Institute of Liberia introduced that each one specimens examined at its Nationwide Reference Laboratory returned adverse for Ebola and Marburg viruses.
“To this point (tenth September 2025 at 21:00 Hrs GMT), all specimens acquired and examined by the molecular PCR methodology on the Nationwide Reference Laboratory of the NPHIL have demonstrated ‘NEGATIVE’ for Ebola and Marburg. This NEGATIVE-TEST RESULT thereby guidelines out any of the indicated VHF infections in stated organic specimens,” stated NPHIL Director Normal, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan.
Whereas the check outcomes have dominated out any case of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF), NPHIL fell in need of stating whether or not the continued quarantine in Ganta can be lifted — a silence that has drawn criticism and highlighted obvious coordination gaps between NPHIL and the Ministry of Well being.
Regardless of the adverse outcomes, there was no formal communication on the standing or length of the quarantine affecting the greater than 20 people, fueling anxiousness within the affected group.
The incident has reopened previous wounds in a rustic nonetheless scarred by the devastating Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed over 4,800 Liberians out of practically 10,700 confirmed instances. On the peak of the outbreak, Liberia recorded among the highest an infection and demise charges within the area, severely impacting its healthcare system, financial system, and social material.
Liberia was first declared Ebola-free in Might 2015, solely to face two extra flare-ups earlier than the virus was formally declared eradicated in January 2016. The outbreak led to sweeping reforms in public well being surveillance and the creation of the Nationwide Public Well being Institute of Liberia in 2017 to enhance epidemic preparedness and response.
Since then, Liberia has confronted occasional suspected instances of Ebola and different viral infections, however no main outbreaks. The nation’s expertise managing the COVID-19 pandemic was additionally formed by classes from the Ebola disaster, reinforcing techniques for contact tracing, quarantine, and emergency response.
On this newest suspected case, native and worldwide observers are carefully watching how the federal government handles public communication, coordination, and group reassurance. Critics say the combined alerts from the well being authorities replicate a lingering weak spot in disaster response cohesion.
When contacted by FrontPage Africa, NPHIL Director Normal Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan stated he was attending a global convention in Abidjan however promised to coordinate along with his staff on the bottom. Nonetheless, he had not responded to follow-up inquiries on the time of publication.
The Ministry of Well being has additionally not issued a proper assertion relating to the quarantine standing or whether or not affected people in Ganta might be launched. The continued silence has left households, native well being staff, and group members in limbo.
In the meantime, NPHIL has urged the general public to stay calm, proceed observing all well being protocols, and search verified data immediately from the company. It additionally reminded the general public that Liberia is presently responding to a number of different outbreaks, together with Mpox, Lassa fever, and Measles.
