Havana, October 27 (RHC) -– The Cuban Health Ministry announced the death from Malaria, on October 26th, of an economist with the island´s medical brigade that is fighting Ebola in Guinea.

Worker Jorge Juan Guerra Rodriguez, 60, an economist from the central province of Sancti Spiritus died from Malaria and cerebral complications at 2:09 on Sunday in Guinea, where he traveled along the vanguard team of the medical brigade that arrived in that country October 6 to fight the Ebola epidemic.

Rodriguez began to present diarrhea on October 22nd originally related to some digestive problem and was assisted by Cuban doctors who indicated the treatment. As the situation continued the next day, he was treated at the Donka Hospital where he was given antibiotics, hydrating substances and a specific diet, which helped him show clinical improvement, the ministry says in a note published in this morning's Granma newspaper.

The worker was submitted on October 24th to lab tests and did not show any new symptoms, while doctors decided to maintain treatment as they waited for the lab test results. But during the evening, Rodriguez began to show symptoms indicating worsening of his condition as doctors confirmed the diagnosis for Malaria.

As an economist with the medical brigade, Rodriguez never had any contact with any Ebola treatment centers or with patients of that disease; however, he was submitted to two Ebola diagnostic tests whose results were negative, the Health Ministry explains.

On October 26th, Rodriguez worsens after presenting multi-organ malfunction and died in the afternoon that day. Cuba's Health Ministry expresses its appreciation for the cooperation of Guinea’s Health and Cooperation Ministers, the UN representatives and of the World Health Organization, which stood by Rodriguez, along the island’s ambassador and the staff of the medical brigade.

Jorge Juan Guerra Rodriguez worked for over 30 years at the provincial health ministry office in Sancti Spiritus; he carried out an internationalist mission in Mali and volunteered to join the Cuban medical brigade that is in western Africa.

Finally, the Health Ministry extends its sympathies to Rodriguez’s relatives.