November 21, 2014

On November 21, 2014, the WHOexternal icon reported that 42 days had passed since the last Ebola case tested negative twice and was discharged from a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to WHO recommendations, an Ebola virus disease outbreak in a country can be declared over once 42 days have passed and no new cases have been detected.

Having reached the 42-day mark, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now considered free of Ebola transmission. This outbreak was the seventh outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the DRC since Ebola virus was first identified there in 1976.

This outbreak was unrelated to the current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. For information about the outbreak in West Africa, please see the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa webpage.