when did ebola break out in sierra leone
Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone An Ebola virus epidemic in Sierra Leone occurred in 2014, along with the neighbouring countries of Guinea and Liberia. On March 18, 2014 Guinean health officials announce the outbreak of a mysterious hemorrhagic fever "which strikes like lightning."[2] It was identified as Ebola virus disease and spread to Sierra Leone by May 2014.[3] The disease is thought to have originated when a child in a bat-hunting family contracted the disease in Guinea in December 2013.[4] Consumption of African bushmeat, including rats, bats, and monkeys, is commonplace in Sierra Leone and West Africa in general.[4]
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone is made up of five administrative regions: the Northern Province, Northwestern Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province and the Western Area, which are subdivided into sixteen districts[2]. Each district has its own directly elected local government. Freetown (population 1,050,301), located in the Western Area, is Sierra Leone's capital, largest city and its economic centre. Bo is Sierra Leone's second largest city and is located in the Southern province, 160 miles from Freetown. Kenema (population 200,354) is Sierra Leone"s third largest city, and is located in the Eastern province, 200 miles from Freetown. Koidu Town is Sierra Leone"s fourth largest city and is located in the diamond rich Kono District in the Eastern province, 285 miles from Freetown. Makeni is Sierra Leone's fifth largest of the country's five major cities, and is located in the Northern province, 85 miles from Freetown.