Riot Breaks Out In Guinea Over Ebola Rumor

Authorities in Guinea were forced to control a riot outbreak Thursday after rumors circulated indicating health workers had infected residents with the Ebola virus.

Police in the southern city of Nzerekore responded to a riot at the local hospital, where dozens of young men carrying weapons were threatening to attack security guards and workers after hearing a false rumor that indicated hospital personnel had been infecting people with the virus. Shots were reportedly fired near the hospital, although no clinic workers were injured. 

"A rumor, which was totally false, spread that we had sprayed the market in order to transmit the virus to locals," Youssouf Traore, president of the Guinean Red Cross, said in a statement to Reuters. "People revolted and resorted to violence, prompting soldiers to intervene."

Local Red Cross workers were reportedly forced to flee the hospital and seek shelter at the nearby militant camp, while other residents claim security forces have prevented them from leaving their neighborhoods.

This most recent riot reflects the growing tensions in West Africa in regard to the outbreak of Ebola that, since it began spreading in March, has killed over 1,400 people and infected over 3,000.

The virus has claimed the lives of 400 people in Guinea alone, although this number is still lower than those who have died from the disease in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

According to an August 26 health report, 12 cases of Ebola were reported for Nzerekore, the second largest city in Guinea.

This week, officials in the United Kingdom enacted a travel ban to Ebola-stricken countries, saying all travel should be avoided unless it is absolutely essential.