For the 4th time, WHO declares the end of the Ebola epidemic in Liberia. The country is now entering a 90-day period of heightened surveillance.
The end of the Ebola epidemic declared again in Liberia. The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that 42 days, twice the incubation period of the virus, have just passed without any new case being identified.
The last West African country affected by this epidemic is now entering a period of heightened surveillance of 90 days, just like its neighbor Guinea on 1er last june.
“WHO commends the Liberian government and its people for their effective response to the Ebola outbreak,” said Dr Alex Gasasira, WHO Representative in Liberia. WHO will continue to support the country in its efforts to prevent, detect and respond to suspected cases. “
Caution and vigilance
Liberia was the first country to declare the end of transmission of the Ebola virus on May 9, 2015. But on several occasions, the virus has reappeared. Sexual transmission by survivors is believed to be the source of these resurgences. Indeed, this Ebola virus is able to persist in semen for 9 months. The UN Agency therefore calls on the 3 countries affected by this terrible epidemic – Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone – to be vigilant.
Starting from Guinea in December 2013, the epidemic quickly spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. In two years, she made more than 28,000 cases, including 11,300 deaths.
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