Ebola Virus Kills Eleventh Doctor In Sierra Leone Before Treatment Drug Could Be Given

Another doctor in Sierra Leone died Thursday due to the deadly Ebola virus, making him the eleventh doctor in the country to die from the disease. Dr. Victor Willoughby, reportedly tested positive for the Ebola virus on Saturday, The Associated Press (AP) reported, citing Dr. Brima Kargbo, the country's chief medical officer.

The virus has killed more than 350 health workers in West Africa, making it difficult to arrange for personnel to treat the existing patients. Kargbo added that Willoughby, 67, was being treated at a clinic run by medical charity Emergency, near the capital. He died before the experimental drug could be given to him.

"Dr. Victor Willoughby was a mentor to us physicians and a big loss to the medical profession," Kargbo said, according to AP, adding: "He has always been available to help junior colleagues."

The new drug ZMAb, which was yet to be administered to him, was developed in Canada and is related to ZMapp, another experimental drug that has cured some Ebola patients. However, it has not been proven how effective the drugs are, yet.

The disease, which is witnessing its worst outbreak, has killed nearly 7,000 people so far and has affected over 18,600 people in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.