Gallery: Ebola in Guinea - Finda Marie's story

20 May 2014

After a phone call, an MSF team goes to Finda Marie Kamano's home, age 33. She reported extreme weakness, vomiting, and dysentery. These symptoms, along with fever and nosebleeds, are typical of those caused of the Ebola virus.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

With her eyes glazed over, Finda Marie shows obvious signs of fatigue. The MSF team decides to take her to the treatment centre and isolate her from the rest of her family and test her for Ebola.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

An MSF doctor takes her temperature. At 36.6C she has no fever. Although the Ebola virus often causes a fever, the fact that she does not have one is not a decisive factor in determining whether or not a patient is infected.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

Finda decided to walk to the ambulance by herself, even though it is difficult for her to walk the 30 metres.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

An MSF team disinfects Finda Marie Kamano’s home. She had just been confirmed the day as suffering from Ebola. Like the mattress, anything that could not be disinfected with bleach is burned.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

The water and sanitation team disinfects the home of a patient infected with the Ebola virus. Whatever cannot be disinfected, such as mattresses, will be burned. The team offers new mattresses with pillows and mosquito nets to replace them.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

When she arrived at the treatment centre, Finda Marie is seen by a nurse in a protective suit and is given a bed in the area reserved for suspicious cases, that is, patients with symptoms but who have not yet been tested for Ebola.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

Wearing a protective suit, a doctor checks Finda, who complains of severe stomach pain.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

Two days after testing positive for Ebola, Finda Marie Kamano dies. The sanitary team dresses the deceased to present her to her family to show them that she is indeed the one in the sealed body bag.

Photo: SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI/Cosmos/

Two days after testing positive for Ebola, Finda Marie Kamano dies. The burial takes place near her house. Traditional funerals are one of the causes of the propagation of the Ebola virus. Finda had previously prepared the body of a victim, and that was most likely how she contracted the disease.

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Gallery: Ebola in Guinea - Finda Marie's story

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Ebola in Guinea - Sia Bintou's story

Guinea: "Don’t leave them alone"

Guinea: MSF remains vigilant in Ebola outbreaks

MSF continues Ebola response