Member of Cuban Ebola mission dies of malaria

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba says a member of a medical team it sent to fight Ebola in West Africa has died of malaria.

According to state newspaper Granma, Jorge Juan Guerra Rodriguez, 60, died in Guinea on Oct. 26 from cerebral malaria, a complication of the parasitic infection that severely and sometimes fatally damages the brain.

The newspaper said two tests for Ebola turned up no sign of the disease.

Cuba sent 165 medical workers to Sierra Leone this month, followed by a second group of 83 who went to Guinea and Liberia last week. Guerra, who the newspaper said was trained as an economist, was a member of the advance team sent to Africa before the doctors were dispatched.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up