Mali's first case of Ebola dies of virus aged two

A two-year-old Mali girl who became the first to die of Ebola in the country could have exposed hundreds of people to the deadly disease.

The child, who has not been identified, had travelled hundreds of kilometres by bus with her grandmother to seek treatment.

Health workers are now scrambling to trace hundreds of people she may have come into contact with.

In a statement Mali's government confirmed the death and said: "In this moment of sadness, the government would like to express its condolences to her family and reminds the population that maintain very strict hygiene rules remains the best way to contain this disease."

Ebola has killed 4,900 people mainly in nearby Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.