The World Health Organisation has declared Liberia Ebola-free. The last victim was buried 42 days ago, on 28 March.
In Monrovia, a woman developed symptoms on 20 March and died seven days later. The source of her infection has not yet been identified, but officials continue to investigate where she may contracted the virus from. As many as 332 people may have been exposed to the patient. They have been identified and are being closely monitored. No one developed symptoms and all have been released from surveillance.
Health officials remain vigilant of new victims, but test results in the country’s five dedicated laboratories were all negative for the month of April. ,
While the WHO is confident that Liberia has interrupted transmission, outbreaks persist in neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone. There is still a high risk that infected people may cross into Liberia, undoing the efforts of officials, medical staff and volunteers.
Considering that the country was reporting between 300 and 400 new cased every week during the peak of the Ebola crisis during August and September 2014, interrupting transmission is a huge achievement.