Liberia declares state of emergency to combat Ebola outbreak

MONROVIA (Reuters) - Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to fight an outbreak of Ebola, saying the scale of the epidemic represented a threat to state security. "The government and people of Liberia require extraordinary measures for the very survival of our state and for the protection of the lives of our people," she said in an official statement. "I ... hereby declare a State of Emergency throughout the Republic of Liberia effective as of Aug. 6, 2014 for a period of 90 days." (Reporting by Clair MacDougall in Monrovia and Daniel Flynn in Dakar; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)