New case of Ebola in Liberia two months after all-clear

But he cautioned that “the outbreak is not completely over” even though the number of new cases is approaching zero because there could be flare-ups, as happened in Liberia after it was declared Ebola-free for the first time in May.

The disease claimed an estimated 4,800 lives in Liberia and more than 11,000 in the Mano River Union countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The countdown is 42 days because it is twice the 21-day incubation period for the Ebola virus, meaning that anyone exposed to the virus would develop symptoms within 21 days.

Nabarro said survivors need a comprehensive package of care to maintain good hygiene, practice safe sex and ensure that they get psychological and medical support, and in a few cases economic help.

It’s still unclear how the boy became infected, says WHO’s special representative on Ebola, Bruce Aylward.

The Guinean officials also lamented on the noncompliance with health standards by some people in the country, as some prefer to bury their dead without regard for health standards, some also prefer to use the traditional healers instead of the approved Ebola clinics.

The boy’s case appears to point to the persistence of the virus among survivors, which can result in occasional resurgence of the disease, Dr. Aylward said, adding that flare-ups are expected to be less common and to end in 2016.

Heath officials are still investigating the origins of the new case. World Health Organization declared the country Ebola-free again on September 3.

The patient is a 10 year old boy who lived with his parents and three siblings in Paynesville, a suburb east of the capital Monrovia, she said.