Ebola: End of Sierra Leone flare-up, New cases reported in Guinea on same day

The rapidly changing news in the world of the largest and longest Ebola outbreak in history, it took a rapid turn again yesterday as the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the recent flare-up of Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone. As of March 17, 42 days have passed, two incubation cycles of the virus, since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease in the country tested negative for a second time.

In the media statement WHO says–However, WHO continues to stress that Sierra Leone, as well as Liberia and Guinea, are still at risk of Ebola flare-ups, largely due to virus persistence in some survivors, and must remain on high alert and ready to respond.

However, just hours after this great news was announced, Reuters was reporting a new Ebola flare-up in Guinea.

Soon after, WHO confirmed by saying they had dispatched a team of specialists to the southern prefecture of Nzérékoré after 2 new cases of Ebola were detected and confirmed in a rural village.

Guinean health officials in the region alerted WHO and partners on 16 March to 3 unexplained deaths in recent weeks in the village of Koropara and said other members of the same family are currently showing symptoms characteristic of Ebola.

Guinea’s Ministry of Health, WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and UNICEF sent in investigators on 17 March. Samples were taken from 4 individuals. A mother and her 5-year-old son, relatives of the deceased, confirmed positive for Ebola virus disease in lab tests. The 2 have been taken to a treatment facility.

WHO said recurrences of the disease should be anticipated and that the 3 Ebola-affected countries must maintain strong capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.

“WHO continues to stress that Sierra Leone, as well as Liberia and Guinea, are still at risk of Ebola flare-ups, largely due to virus persistence in some survivors, and must remain on high alert and ready to respond,” WHO said in a statement.

Worldwide, there have been 28,639 cases of Ebola virus disease and 11,316 deaths as of 13 March.

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