source
Since the west African Ebola outbreak in March 2014, there has not been a single week without a new case. But the World Health Organization has reported a full week of no new cases.
This is exciting news
“No confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease were reported in the week to 4 October. This is the first time that a complete epidemiological week has elapsed with zero confirmed cases since March 2014,” the WHO said.
{adinserter CNP5}
A devastating disease
This has been the most devastating outbreak of Ebola since the one in Central Africa in 1976. Over the past year, there has been a total of 28,421 cases and 11,297 reported deaths. The majority of cases have been in three countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. The epidemic affects countries’ ability to function. For example, UNICEF reports that during the crisis the births of more than 70,000 children in Liberia were never recorded, which means they legally do not exist.
The epidemic has entered a third phase
Liberia was declared free of Ebola transmission in early September. In late September, Sierra Leone began a 42-day countdown to becoming Ebola-free. They have gone three full weeks with no new cases. The WHO says that the epidemic has entered a third phase on is on its way out. According to the organization, the focus is now on bringing “case incidence to zero, and ensure a sustained end to (Ebola) transmission.”
But the disease could still come back
It may be on its way out, but Ebola could still come back The virus could reappear and, though it is rare, it is possible it can be transmitted from healthy survivors through unprotected sexual activity. There are more than 500 people in Guinea at risk of exposure – they are still being monitored and will not be cleared to leave until the 21-day incubation period ends. Health officials have also lost track of some people who were considered high-risk contacts in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
SEE ALSO: A 16-Year-Old Girl Wins The Google Science Fair. She Found A Simpler Way To Detect Ebola
