Mali confirms a new case of Ebola

Bamako: Mali has confirmed a new case of Ebola, bringing to eight the number of people who have fallen ill with the deadly disease in the West African country.A government statement issued last night said the patient had been placed in a treatment center.[caption id="attachment_1821417" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. Reuters[/caption]All of Mali's Ebola cases can be traced back to a 70-year-old imam who was brought to the country from Guinea, where the epidemic first began.Six of Mali's eight Ebola patients have died. The government said on Saturday that another patient who tested positive was also receiving treatment and had been isolated. Officials are monitoring 271 people in a bid to contain the disease.The World Health Organisation says Ebola has killed more than 5,400 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.Associated Press