Countries at heart of Ebola outbreak see first virus-free week

The world’s worst recorded Ebola outbreak, which has killed 11,300 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since it began in December 2013, has set back progress on maternal health in the country, the report’s lead researcher Susan Jones said.

Monday’s announcement by the National Ebola Response Center marked another setback in ending Ebola transmission in Sierra Leone, which has counted practically four, 000 Ebola deaths.

While the news is encouraging, there are still hundreds of contacts who are undergoing followup check-ins to make sure they stay healthy and the agency says the risk of transmission remains high.

The World Health Organization warned that over the past 42 days, responders have identified but haven’t been able to trace 290 contacts from four of Guinea’s districts: Conakry, Coyah, Dubreka, and Forecariah. At the height of the epidemic, in mid-September 2014, the three countries recorded more than 700 confirmed, probable or suspected cases of the deadly hemorrhagic virus in a single week.

Door-to-door case finding efforts have been under way in Conakry and in several villages in Forecariah district to address the risks posed by the contacts who were lost to follow up. The last patient was discharged from treatment in Kambia district on September 26, which started the country’s 42-day countdown toward Ebola-free status.

Almost all the victims have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

In all, 28,457 people have been infected by the virus and 11,312 have died.

Liberia has already been declared free of the disease after 42 days without a new case.