The Slatest

Peace Corps Pulls Volunteers From Countries Involved in Ebola Outbreak

Doctors Without Borders staff in Sierra Leone.

Photo by Tommy Trenchard/Reuters

The Peace Corps will pull 340 volunteers from the three West African countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) that are suffering from an Ebola outbreak; two volunteers were exposed to the virus but are not showing signs of infection. From Reuters:

A Peace Corps spokesperson said two volunteers were isolated and under observation after being exposed to a person who later died of Ebola.

“These volunteers are not symptomatic and are currently isolated and under observation,” the spokesperson said in a statement …

The two volunteers would return to the United States once they were cleared to travel, the Peace Corps spokesperson added.

Reuters also says that the State Department has confirmed that an American died of an Ebola infection in Nigeria; earlier reports identified that person as Patrick Sawyer, a 40-year-old Liberian-born naturalized citizen who lived in Minnesota before moving back to his native country in 2008. Sawyer’s wife and children still live in Minnesota.

The Peace Corps also suspended operations in Kenya last week because of terrorism-related security concerns.