Spanish Priest Dies from Ebola Virus

A Spanish priest who contracted Ebola in Liberia has died from the disease. Miguel Parajes, 75 was a priest and missionary working for the San Juan de Dios Catholic aid group when he fell ill to the virus. 

Parajes was evacuated to Madrid for treatment where he died at Carlos III Hospital. The priest will be cremated Wednesday (Aug. 13) to prevent further spreading of the disease. 

Parajes had been serving as a member of the Catholic church in Africa for almost 50 years. He was planning to return to Spain in September for retirement. Parajes became the first European to die from the Ebola outbreak. 

The priest’s death comes as the World Health Organization has announced that it is ethical to treat Ebola patients with experimental medicine in an effort to fight the outbreak, despite that doctors are not sure if the serums will help or hinder patients in recovery. 

Publication date: August 12, 2014