Robbers Hijacks Red Cross Vehicle In Guinea. Stole Suspected Ebola Patients Blood Sample

Robbers in Guinea hijacked a taxi transporting a cooler
containingblood samplesfrom suspectedEbolapatients, a seniorRed
Crossofficial said on Friday.

The carjackers held up the vehicle near the town of Kissidougou. The
taxi was carrying the samples from central Kankan prefecture to the
test center about 165 miles away in southern Gueckedou.

The blood was stored in tightly wrapped vials and safely tucked in a
sealed container. The samples were being escorted by four Red Cross
officials when three bandits on a motorbike flagged them down.

Reports said the robbers forced the passengers out, stole their mobile
phones, cash and jewelry, and fired into the air as they demanded the
handover of the cooler bag. No one was injured in the incident.

Youssouf Traoré, head of the Red Cross delegation in Guinea, said the
thieves may thought the cooler contain something valuable to them.

Traoré said the robbers would probably dump the cooler once they found
it did not contain cash, gold or diamonds.

Guinea authorities publicly appealed to the unidentified thieves to
hand over thestolen blood samples.

Dr. Barry Moumie, who heads patient care for the national Ebola
response coordination committee, said security services have been
notified about the incident and the danger the samples may pose to the
thieves.

He assured thatsample-transportation proceduresinEbola-stricken
countrieswill now be strengthened to avoid such incidents.

Guinea Red Cross press officer Faya Etienne Tolnoexplained that
theGuinea Red Crossdid not have their own vehicles for transport that
is why it commissioned a taxi.

Dr. Hans Rosling, who is advising Liberia on its Ebola response, noted
the difficulties of transporting such samples, saying countries and
groups like the United States and the United Nations have rules about
moving suchhazardous materials.

In Liberia, he said they use specifically allocated motorbikes and
cars. But Rosling said there is no way that authorities can secure
transport in all of these areas and mishap such as in Guinea can
happen.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 5,000 people
have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in the worst outbreak
of the Ebola virus on record.