The whole of Africa was in the thick of celebration following the announcement made by the World Health Organization regarding Ebola. According to the WHO, as of last week West Africa is Ebola free. In their statement it was confirmed that Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries hit most by the pandemic, have not had any new cases of the disease in more than a month. Unfortunately, the celebration was recently proven premature.
Two days ago, it was confirmed that a new case of Ebola was discovered in Sierra Leone. According to reports, the case involved a 22 year old woman who was found dead in the country. Routine swabs proved that the cause of her death was the dreaded disease.
WHO is still in the midst of investigating the details surrounding the new infection. They have yet to confirm how the woman contracted the disease. The organization has also spearheaded a campaign to identify people who came in close contact with the deceased in order to halt further transmission.
While news of the Ebola case is disappointing, it is curious to note that both the WHO and the governments of the affected countries have warned citizens to be on the lookout for signs of another blowout. In the midst of the celebration, even Liberia's deputy minister of public health, Tolbert Nyenswah, stated that while West Africa is Ebola free, this does not mean that vigilant efforts to spot and treat possible cases would cease.
"Today is a monumental day of achievement - the end of human-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus in the region and Liberia. It is a collective effort for the international community and the people of Liberia for being once more Ebola-free. It does not mean that we have put our tools down and lay down our guys" quipped Nyenswah.
