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Samaritan's Purse is sling loading ebola isolation ward kits from Gueckedou, Guinea, to Foya, Liberia, for set-up of the isolation ward.
Samaritan's Purse works with the Liberian government to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus

Two nurses in Liberia are among the 135 people who have died from the virulent Ebola virus that is sweeping across West Africa. The nurses worked at Foya Boma Hospital, near the border of Guinea, where the outbreak originated before spreading to Liberia.

Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses in the world, killing up to 90 percent of those infected. There is no cure or vaccine. The only way to stop it is to keep it from spreading.

Samaritan's Purse is partnering with Liberia's Ministry of Health to contain the outbreak. We are conducting public education and awareness campaigns in Lofa, River Gee, Gbarpulu, and Nimba counties and in Monrovia, the capital city and location of our field office.

So far, we have reached more than 140,000 people in 445 communities with Ebola awareness and prevention messaging. Hygiene items, including buckets, cups, and soap, have also been distributed.

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Samaritan’s Purse has set up an isolation unit for people who are infected with the virus.
"I am feeling bad about the Ebola because there is no cure and it kills people fast," said Rufus, a man in Monrovia. "It is only by God's grace that we are healthy, because we are not well protected."

Using a helicopter and small plane, Samaritan's Purse has transported medical staff and more than six tons of cargo and supplies to affected areas.

We worked with the staff of ELWA Hospital in Monrovia to set up an Ebola isolation ward and provide equipment and supplies needed to treat the sick while protecting healthcare workers from becoming infected.

"The hospital is taking great effort to be prepared," said Dr. Kent Brantly, a family practice physician from Fort Worth, Texas, who is serving at ELWA Hospital for two years through Samaritan's Purse and its Post-Residency Program. "In past Ebola outbreaks, many of the casualties have been healthcare workers who contracted the disease through their work caring for infected individuals."

Dr. Brantly has been working alongside the long-term staff of medical missionaries at ELWA Hospital to prepare the facility to receive Ebola patients.

"One of our missionary surgeons, Dr. Debbie Eisenhut, has been working very hard over the past week to put every single hospital employee through an intensive training course where they learn about Ebola, isolation precautions, the importance of personal hygiene and hand washing, and how to care for and interact with patients with Ebola, as well as their families," he said.

Samaritan's Purse is setting up a second Ebola isolation and treatment center in Foya, near the hospital where the two nurses died.

The initial Ebola outbreak in Guinea is believed to have started when hunters came in contact with infected fruit bats. The Ebola virus is spread between humans through direct contact. Once infected, it can take up to 21 days for symptoms to appear, which include high fever, headaches, and fatigue. At that point, the infected person is contagious.

The Ebola virus has already spread from Guinea to Liberia. Prevention and awareness are keys to preventing further spread of the disease.

Samaritan's Purse has been working in Liberia since 2003, when the country's civil war came to an end. We have helped tens of thousands of Liberians through clean water and hygiene programs, care for HIV/AIDS orphans, nutrition feeding, latrine and hospital construction, farming, and care for victims of gender-based violence.

Pray that the Ebola outbreak will quickly be contained, and that our staff and ministry partners will convey the love and compassion of Christ as they work.

"We are confident in our faith that God is sovereign and 'works all things together for good to those that love Him, who are called according to His purpose,'" Dr. Brantly said. "We serve a God of great mercy, grace and redemptive power, and we look forward to witnessing our God at work in the midst of this seeming disaster."