Ebola Kills Top Sierra Leone Doctor

One of Sierra Leone's top doctors died from Ebola hours after the arrival in the country of an experimental drug that could have been used to save him. Victor Willoughby, who tested positive for the disease only on Saturday, is the 11th doctor in the country in the current outbreak. His death has been described as "a big loss to the medical profession". Sierra Leone has overtaken Liberia to have the highest number of Ebola cases, World Health Organization figures show. The virus has killed more than 6,800 people this year, mostly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Healthcare workers are among those most at risk of catching Ebola because is spread by bodily fluids. Respected Dr Willoughby, 67, died on Thursday, hours after the arrival of the experimental drug ZMab in Sierra Leone, officials said. ZMapp, which was developed in Canada, has been credited with helping several patients recover, including two US doctors. BBC Africa deputy editor Josephine Hazeley says Dr Willoughby was one of Sierra Leone's best known and most respected doctors. Meanwhile the country's chief medical officer, Brima Kargbo, said the death was "a big loss to the medical profession" in Sierra Leone. "We all looked up to Dr Willoughby and would consult him on many issues relating to our medical profession," he told the Associated Press news agency. Earlier this week officials in Sierra Leone began house-to-house searches in the capital Freetown to find hidden cases of Ebola. President Ernest Bai Koroma said Sunday trading would be banned and travel between districts restricted in a bid to stop the spread of the disease. The country has also banned public celebrations over Christmas and the New Year.