Senegal reports first Ebola case

DAKAR, Senegal, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The deadly Ebola virus in West Africa has spread to Senegal, local media and state officials announced Friday.

According to the Senegalese Press Agency, Health Minister Awa Marie Coll Seck confirmed the country's first case of Ebola was found in a 21-year-old male Conakry University student from Guinea.

The infected student, who has not exhibited bleeding symptoms, has been quarantined at Fann Hospital in Dakar and is reportedly in stable condition.

The emergence of Ebola in Senegal comes despite attempts to prevent contagion from nearby Ebola-infected countries. On August 21, Senegal closed its borders with Guinea and barred aircraft and ships from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The newest country to be infected by Ebola comes as the World Health Organization released updated figures documenting the outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. As of August 26, WHO has recorded a total of 3,069 cases of confirmed, probable and suspected Ebola, including 1,553 deaths.