World Health Organization declares Ebola outbreak over

The World Health Organization (WHO) today declared that the Ebola outbreak in Liberia is over, marking the first time since the outbreak began 2 years ago that all three affected West African countries have been free of the virus at the same time.

Today’s declaration that Liberia is free of Ebola transmissions, having completed a 42-day period without a case of the disease, follows Guinea’s declaration in December and Sierra Leone’s in November.

The announcement effectively marks the end of the Ebola epidemic in west Africa.

“WHO stresses ongoing risk of flare-ups due to the re-emergence of the virus throughout 2016 due to persistence of the virus in the survivor population”, a spokesman said.

“The WHO commends the government, people, communities, health workers and partners on the successful response to this latest outbreak of Ebola”.

From a Guinean infant who was the first victim the epidemic quickly spread into neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, notching up more deaths than all other Ebola outbreaks combined. However, the most recent flare-up in Liberia confounded scientists as it was not initially clear where the new cases had come from.

Liberian Deputy Health Minister Dr. Francis Kateh told Anadolu Agency in Monrovia on Thursday that investors should take note that WHO had now declared the country Ebola-free for the third time.

“Then there’s the risk of a totally new chain of infection”, Nurith says, noting that Ebola could be reintroduced to West Africa from wild animals, the same way the recent epidemic was believed to have started.

The same month, a Scottish nurse who had been treated for Ebola 10 months earlier, was readmitted to hospital after the virus caused a severe disorder of her central nervous system.

“Some of the measures adopted by governments prior to the Ebola outbreak are directly responsible for the response not being what we expected”.

“As long as there is infectious virus that continues to hide out… that is a potential for a reignition of this outbreak, especially if we relax infection control and prevention”.

“Ebola has exacted an enormous toll on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone”.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon warned Wednesday that the fight against Ebola was far from over and future flare-ups of the disease in the coming year could be anticipated.

In addition, over 1,260 children who have survived the disease across the three countries are facing challenges that are both medical and social as many struggle to be accepted back into their communities.