Liberia was declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization for the second time on Sept. 3, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ebola was first detected in Liberia in late March 2014, and since that time the country has reported 5,036 confirmed or probable cases of Ebola, and more than 4,800 deaths. Case incidence reached its highest point in September and October 2014 and began to fall dramatically by December. On May 9, 2015, the country was declared Ebola free.
The disease reentered Liberia on June 29, but through rapid response and active case tracking, the new outbreak was contained within a month. Only 6 confirmed and 2 probable cases were identified, and 143 contacts were identified and monitored. On July 23, the last patient with Ebola was discharged, and after the standard 42-day waiting period, Liberia is once again officially Ebola free.
“As Liberia transitions again from an emergency public health response to a phase of continued vigilance, many of the practices that have been put into place will, in addition to ensuring continued heightened surveillance for Ebola, facilitate the overall rebuilding of the country’s public health infrastructure,” the CDC investigators concluded.
Find the full report in the MMWR (Sept. 3, 2015/Vol. 64).