Bamako , Mali ( CNN ) -- A 2-year-old girl in Mali has been diagnosed with Ebola , making her the West African country 's first confirmed case , health officials said Thursday . The girl was brought to Mali from neighboring Guinea , where the outbreak this year is believed to have started , World Health Organization spokeswoman Yvette Bivigou said . The girl , whose father died of Ebola , was taken to the hospital in Kayes after a nurse noticed she was suffering from what appeared to be Ebola-like symptoms . A test confirmed the girl has Ebola , Health Ministry spokeswoman Markatie Daou said . `` The girl is still in the hospital in Kayes together with members of her family who might have been exposed to the virus , '' she said . The confirmed case in Mali makes it the sixth West African country to be hit by the virus , which the WHO reported has killed more than 4,800 people . Ousmane Kone , Mali 's minister for public health , called for people in Kayes , west of the capital city of Bamako , to `` stay calm '' and observe `` hygiene measures . '' `` We identified the first contacts of the patient , '' he said . Even so , he asked anyone who had contact with the girl to contact authorities . The news comes just days after the WHO announced that vaccine trials are expected to begin in January in West Africa . The initial vaccine tests are being given to volunteers in countries such as Mali , the United States and England . CNN 's Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report .
A year - old girl traveling from Guinea to Mali has been diagnosed with Ebola . The girl 's father died of pneumonia , a health official said . The girl is in the hospital in Kayes . Members of her family have also been hospitalized .