All-clear for West Africa WHO declared Ebola epidemic over

Sierra Leone free of Ebola, according to the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) has once again declared the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, West Africa, to be over. In a statement on Thursday, the UN organization announced "the end of the last flare-up of Ebola virus disease in the country". More than 10,000 people died in the last two years, the last case is 42 days ago. It is the second attempt, as West Africa was first considered free of Ebola in January.
Last suspicion is 42 days back
The latest wave of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, West Africa, is apparently over. This was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday in Geneva. Thus, the last suspected case in the country is 42 days ago, which corresponds to the double incubation period of the disease. Normally, after an infection within 21 days typical Ebola symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting or diarrhea occur. In the further course of the virus illness it comes to heavy external and internal bleeding, which concern above all the gastrointestinal tract as well as the mucous membranes in the eye, mouth or genital area ("hemorrhagic fever"). If the disease has a severe course, e.g. the kidney or liver fail. Therefore, in many cases the disease ends fatally.

Picture: kasto - fotolia

It could be assumed that "all sources of transmission in the region were identified and stopped," the WHO said. "However, WHO continues to stress that Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea continue to be at risk of reoccurring Ebola, mainly because of persistence of some survivors. Therefore, we must remain on high alert and ready to react, "the message continues. The reason for the caution is the fact that the highly contagious Ebola virus is transmitted via bodily fluids and e.g. in semen can have a survival of up to nine months after the disease.

Virus was discovered 40 years ago
The most severe epidemic since the discovery of the virus 40 years ago had broken out in Guinea at the end of December 2013, according to the UN organization, from where it reached travelers to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. 28,000 people became infected with the virus, more than 10,000 fell victim to the disease. At the beginning of November 2015, WHO experts had already declared the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone over for the first time. In January, however, there was a renewed infection, which resulted in more than 100 people being quarantined.

Guinea, where the epidemic first occurred, was initially declared Ebola-free on December 29, but the observation period will run until the end of March. Liberia was first considered free from new contagion in May 2015, but then it broke out twice. The end of the latest Ebola wave in Liberia was officially announced by WHO on January 14th.

The organization had been criticized, according to a report by the news agency "AFP" because of their initially cumbersome response to the Ebola epidemic in the criticism. Independent experts said in a WHO-commissioned report that warnings had been far too late and local communities had not been sufficiently harnessed to fight the virus at first. (No)