Dogs Feast On Ebola Victim Carcasses in Liberia

Packs of Liberian dogs have been eating the remains of dead Ebola victims in Monrovia, according to multiple witnesses. Many have contacted the government health ministry, but no measures were taken to stop the packs of dogs pulling dead bodies from their graves, The New Dawn reported.

The report states:

…the remains of dead Ebola victims were reportedly seen, eaten by dogs, something reminiscent of the brutal civil war here, when dogs ate dead bodies on the streets. The Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, buried some unaccounted-for corpses, suspected to have died from the Ebola Virus in that township few weeks ago. The burial was done in a hurry at night following a standoff in the day between residence and the Ministry of Health burial team. The former had refused to grant the authority a piece of land to carry out the burial. The dogs, in their numbers, were seen pulling the bodies out of the shadowed grave and hastily eating them.

Dogs can act as a transmitter of Ebola, but canines do no development symptoms from the virus, according to medical experts. A medical doctor told News24, “this means that dogs won’t get sick but they still could carry a potential risk through licking or biting.”

One resident complained that the government — by letting dogs rip apart the dead carcasses — was disrespecting the citizens they are supposed to serve, and also were showcasing gross negligence in efforts to contain the virus. “The government took an oath to defend and protect us; to see them act in such manner is unacceptable and we’ll never allow the government come to bury any longer,” he said.

Separately, Liberia’s president has fired all of his Cabinet ministers that refused an order to return to their country to help combat the deadly virus.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, “It is unlikely we are yet at the peak of Ebola’s spread.” Ebola has killed over 1,400 people in Africa, with Liberia being hit hardest, accounting for almost half of the deaths.