Guinea is now Ebola free :WHO

WHO declared Guinea Ebola free thereby ending two-year long plague in West Africa. This declaration came on a strong base which is the passing of 42 days since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease tested negative for the second time.Guinea is first among the 3 countries which are the source for outbreak of Ebola. Other 2 are Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola Facts

- Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.

- The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.

- The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks.

- The first EVD outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests, but the most recent outbreak in West Africa has involved major urban as well as rural areas.

- Community engagement is the key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilisation.