The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa began in a small Guinean village called Meliandou. Life in this town has changed drastically since the deadly virus had taken a devastating toll on the people's lives. It is also here where researchers have identified patient zero, the first known victim of the virus that has set off the current deadly outbreak.
Two-year-old Emile Ouamouno lived in Meliandou with his family. His mother and father were parents to him and his three sisters. In December of last year, Emile contracted a mysterious illness that caused him to have fever, spells of vomiting, and black stools. Emile died just four days after the symptoms escalated. Shortly after his death, his four-year-old sister Philomene, also became sick and later died as well. Philomene's death was followed by her mother's, who was pregnant at that time, and then her grandmother after that. They died in a village that had no medical facility and was located more than two hours away from the capital of Conakry. It was, however, close to the borders of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Researchers now believe that the virus was able to spread outside the village after people from different parts of that area came to attend the grandmother's funeral.
It would prove to be many months later before an international health organization would be able to identify young Emile as patient zero.
UNICEF spokeswoman Suzanne Beukes has spoken to Etianne Ouamouno, the father, who talked about the children that he had lost to Ebola. "Emile loved to dance and Phiomene like to carry little babies on her back and pretend she was a mom." He said that he had, since then, burned the blankets and clothing articles that were used by his two children. However, he said that he chose to keep a small red radio that his son would often use to dance to the music.
At the moment, scientists are still trying to establish how the toddler had contracted the deadly virus. According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola virus is usually transferred from an animal source through infected tissues or fluids. A WHO representative said that, "In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope, and porcupines."
