A joyous picture has emerged, showing a resilient Dr Kent Brantly high-fiving the medical team who saved his life as he was finally cleared to leave the hospital after testing negative for the Ebola virus.

The 33-year-old doctor contracted the deadly virus while working in Liberia, and was flown out of the country along with missionary Nancy Writebol, 59, to be treated at Emory University.

Brantly was cleared to leave the hospital on Thursday after more than two week sin the hospital where he was the first to receive an experimental serum called Zmapp.

It was also revealed Thursday that Writebol was quietly released from the hospital on Tuesday.

Scroll down for video

Thank you: Dr Kent Brantly high-fives the medical team at Emory University, as he was released from the hospital on Thursday

Dr Brantly looked a little frail but healthy as he gripped the hand of his wife Amber amid a large medical team at a press conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

The husband and father said : 'Today is a miraculous day. I am thrilled to be alive, to be well and to be reunited with my family.'

He thanked God for saving his life, saying that the thousands of prayers which had been said for him around the world, had been answered. He also gave credit to the experimental serum he received after his health rapidly deteriorated when he contracted Ebola last month.

Dr Kent Brantly beamed as he appeared with his wife Amber today at a news conference at Emory in Atlanta where he spoke before leaving the hospital after being declared disease free

Nancy Writebol, pictured on Wednesday with her husband David, left the Atlanta hospital on Tuesday

'Through the care of the Samaritan's Purse and SIM missionary team in Liberia, the use of an experimental drug, and the expertise and resources of the health care team at Emory University Hospital, God saved my life - a direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers,' the doctor said.

His colleague Nancy Writebol, 59, was released on Tuesday from Emory. She did not want to make a public statement but asked that Dr Brantly convey her gratitude to medical staff and those who had prayed for her.

Dr Brantly said: 'As [Nancy] walked out of her isolation room, all she could say was 'To God to be glory.'''

The doctor, originally from Texas, moved with his family to Liberia in West Africa because God called on him to work there, he said.

'When my family and I moved to Liberia two years ago, Ebola was not on the radar. We moved to Liberia because God called us to service in Liberia,' he said.

As the Ebola outbreak began to spread across West Africa this year, Dr Brantly said his medical staff in Liberia took every precaution against the disease, which has a 90 per cent mortality rate.

Dr Brantly said today: 'When we received our first Ebola patient, we were ready... we took every precaution to protect ourselves from this disease, including following MSF (Doctors Without Borders) and WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines.'

With the health risks in Liberia becoming more serious, the doctor sent his wife and two young children home to the U.S. in July. The following day, the doctor said, he woke up knowing that something was wrong.

Dr Brantly said: 'On Wednesday July 23, I woke up feeling under the weather and then my life took an unexpected turn as I was diagnosed with the Ebola virus disease.

Dr Brantly spoke at a press conference on Thursday alongside his wife Amber who had accompanied him in his missionary work to Liberia

Nancy Writebol, a missionary worker in Liberia, left hospital on Tuesday, Ebola free. She has asked for privacy as she continues to recover from the disease which weakened her

Dr Brantly hugs a member of the medical staff that treated him, after being released from Emory University Hospital on Thursday

'As I lay in bed getting sicker and weaker, each day I prayed that God would help me be faithful in my illness.

'I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and your support, but what I can tell you is that I serve a God who answers prayers. God saved my life, a direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers.'

The doctor thanked a long list of people that he credited for his recovery. He became emotional as he expressed deep gratitude to the Emory medical team who had cared for him in the quarantine unit, saying: 'I will not forget you.'

He also thanked the missionary medical organization, Samaritan's Purse, for whom he worked in Liberia. He said: 'I want to thank Samaritan's Purse, who has taken care of me and my family as if I was their own family.'

In a statement today, Nancy's husband David Writebol, said that his wife wanted privacy as she recovers from the deadly disease.

He wrote: 'Nancy is free of the virus, but the lingering effects of the battle have left her in a significantly weakened condition.

'Thus, we decided it would be best to leave the hospital privately to be able to give her the rest and recuperation she needs at this time.

'During the course of her fight, Nancy recalled the dark hours of fear and loneliness, but also a sense of the deep abiding peace and presence of God, giving her comfort. She was greatly encouraged knowing that there were so many people around the world lifting prayers to God for her return to health.

'Her departure from the hospital, free of the disease, is powerful testimony to God’s sustaining grace in time of need.'

Dr Bruce Ribner, director of Emory's Infectious Disease Unit, said today: 'We are tremendously pleased with Dr. Brantly and Mrs. Writebol's recovery' adding that they posed no public health risk.

Dr Ribner added: 'What we learned in caring for them will help advance the world's understanding of how to treat Ebola infections and help, hopefully, to improve survival.'

Ebola virus survivor Dr Kent Brantly and his wife, Amber (left) listen to Dr. Bruce Ribner (right), medical director of Emory's Infectious Disease Unit at a news conference on Thursday

Dr. Kent Brantly stands with his wife Amber and makes a statement at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta following his discharge from the facility on Thursday

IN HIS OWN WORDS, DR KENT BRANTLY THANKS GOD, HIS DOCTORS AND THE WORLD FOR THEIR PRAYERS AFTER SURVIVING EBOLA 'Today is a miraculous day. I am thrilled to be alive, to be well and to be reunited with my family. As a medical missionary, I never imagined myself in this position. When my family and I moved to Liberia last October to begin a two-year term working with Samaritan's Purse, Ebola was not on the radar. We moved to Liberia because God called us to serve the people of Liberia. 'In March, when we got word that Ebola was in Guinea and had spread to Liberia, we began preparing for the worst. We didn't receive our first Ebola patient until June, but when she arrived, we were ready. During the course of June and July, the number of Ebola patients increased steadily, and our amazing crew at ELWA Hospital took care of each patient with great care and compassion. We also took every precaution to protect ourselves from this dreaded disease by following MSF and WHO guidelines for safety. 'After taking Amber and our children to the airport to return to the States on Sunday morning, July 20, I poured myself into my work even more than before - transferring patients to our new, bigger isolation unit; training and orienting new staff; and working with our Human Resources officer to fill our staffing needs. Three days later, on Wednesday, July 23, I woke up feeling under the weather, and then my life took an unexpected turn as I was diagnosed with Ebola Virus Disease. As I lay in my bed in Liberia for the following nine days, getting sicker and weaker each day, I prayed that God would help me to be faithful even in my illness, and I prayed that in my life or in my death, He would be glorified. 'I did not know then, but I have learned since, that there were thousands, maybe even millions of people around the world praying for me throughout that week, and even still today. And I have heard story after story of how this situation has impacted the lives of individuals around the globe - both among my friends and family, and also among complete strangers. I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and your support. But what I can tell you is that I serve a faithful God who answers prayers. 'Through the care of the Samaritan's Purse and SIM missionary team in Liberia, the use of an experimental drug, and the expertise and resources of the health care team at Emory University Hospital, God saved my life - a direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers. 'I am incredibly thankful to all of those who were involved in my care, from the first day of my illness all the way up to today - the day of my release from Emory. If I tried to thank everyone, I would undoubtedly forget many. But I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to a few. I want to thank Samaritan's Purse, who has taken care of me and my family as though we were their own family. Thank you to the Samaritan's Purse and SIM Liberia community. You cared for me and ministered to me during the most difficult experience of my life, and you did so with the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. 'Thank you to Emory University Hospital and especially to the medical staff in the isolation unit. You treated me with such expertise, yet with such tenderness and compassion. For the last three weeks you have been my friends and my family. And so many of you ministered to me not only physically, but also spiritually, which has been an important part of my recovery. I will never forget you and all that you have done for me. 'And thank you to my family, my friends, my church family and to all who lifted me up in prayer, asking for my healing and recovery. Please do not stop praying for the people of Liberia and West Africa, and for a quick end to this Ebola epidemic. 'My dear friend, Nancy Writebol, upon her release from the hospital, wanted me to share her gratitude for all the prayers on her behalf. As she walked out of her isolation room, all she could say was, 'To God be the glory.' Nancy and David are now spending some much needed time together. 'Thank you for your support through this whole ordeal. My family and I will now be going away for a period of time to reconnect, decompress and continue to recover physically and emotionally. After I have recovered a little more and regained some of my strength, we will look forward to sharing more of our story; but for now, we need some time together after more than a month apart. We appreciate having the opportunity to spend some time in private before talking to some of you who have expressed an interest in hearing more of our journey. Thank you for granting us that. 'Again, before we slip out, I want to express my deep and sincere gratitude to Samaritan's Purse, SIM, Emory and all of the people involved in my treatment and care. Above all, I am forever thankful to God for sparing my life and am glad for any attention my sickness has attracted to the plight of West Africa in the midst of this epidemic. Please continue to pray for Liberia and the people of West Africa, and encourage those in positions of leadership and influence to do everything possible to bring this Ebola outbreak to an end. Thank you.' Advertisement

Dr Brantley contracted Ebola while treating gravely ill patients in Liberia. Doctors reported today that his blood tests had come back negative for the disease.

Both Americans had been given a dose of the experimental Ebola drug, ZMapp.

It is a remarkable turn around for Dr Brantly as according to reports, the doctor's condition had deteriorated so rapidly in Africa that doctors decided to give the experimental serum, which had not been tested on humans, as a last attempt to save his life.

Within an hour of receiving the drug, Dr Brantly's health improved but it is unclear whether it was directly because of the medication.

Aid worker Nancy Writebol left Emory on Tuesday after recovering from the disease, a family source revealed

Dr Brantly initially passed himself over in order for his colleague Mrs Writebol to get the first dose of ZMapp, which is in limited supply.

Once he was in a stable condition, Dr Brantly was evacuated from the west African nation in a specially-equipped plane to the U.S.

He was pictured walking, with two medical workers for support, out of an ambulance in a fully-protective hazmat suit on August 2.

His health has gone from strength to strength at the pioneering medical center. In the statement last week, Brantly expressed gratitude for the health care professionals treating him with 'compassionate, world-class care,' adding he is 'more grateful every day to the Lord for sparing my life'.

Dr Brantly was pictured on August 2 walking out of an ambulance at the Georgia hospital wearing a full hazmat suit after being flown in from Liberia

Medical workers roll patient Nancy Writebol, the second American aid worker infected with Ebola, into Emory University Hospital on August 5

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, said in a statement that Brantly has recovered.

WHAT IS ZMAPP? THE EXPERIMENTAL SERUM GIVING HOPE TO EBOLA PATIENTS Experimental serum ZMapp was created from a combination of antibodies in January. Until the drug was given to the American Ebola sufferers, it had only been tested on monkeys. It is unclear exactly how it works but both Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol recovered from Ebola after receiving the serum. It is only available in limited supplies as larger scale human testing is needed to prove it safe and effective. The companies behind the drug, ZMapp and Kentucky BioProcessing are currently working to have the product approved and the production accelerated. The companies said in a statement: 'It is important to note that the emergency use of an experimental medicine is a highly unusual situation. As a consequence global high-level discussions concerning the policy, ethical, and medical implications of this exceptional situation have been initiated.' Advertisement

'Today I join all of our Samaritan's Purse team around the world in giving thanks to God as we celebrate Dr. Kent Brantly's recovery from Ebola and release from the hospital,' the statement read.

'Over the past few weeks I have marveled at Dr. Brantly's courageous spirit as he has fought this horrible virus with the help of the highly competent and caring staff at Emory University Hospital.

'His faithfulness to God and compassion for the people of Africa have been an example to us all.'

The doctor was given ZMapp, a trial drug used on a handful of patients in the West African outbreak, and flown to the U.S. earlier this month.

Mrs Writebol was also taken to Emory University Hospital after being flown out of Liberia three days after Dr Brantly and once her condition had stabilized.

Mrs Writebol was reunited with her husband earlier this week - through the glass of her isolation room.

In a statement, David Writebol said: 'I have had the great joy to be able to look through the isolation room glass and see my beautiful wife again. We both placed our hands on opposite sides of the glass, moved with tears to look at each other again.'

The two were infected while working at a missionary clinic outside Liberia's capital.

The Ebola outbreak has killed 1,350 people and counting across West Africa with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia reporting the highest outbreaks.

The disease is only spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick people experiencing symptoms and has a 90 per cent mortality rate.

Dr Kent Brantly, pictured working at an Ebola treatment clinic in Foya, Liberia, in June. He is due to be discharged from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on Thursday

On Wednesday in Liberia, slum residents clashed with riot police and soldiers who used scrap wood and barbed wire to seal off 50,000 people inside the slum in an effort to contain the outbreak.

The World Health Organization said the death toll is rising most quickly in Liberia, which now accounts for at least 576 of the fatalities.