The health
minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo says his country is free of Ebola.
Congo's three-month outbreak killed nearly 50 people. The viral strain involved
was different the one ravaging West Africa.
Deutsche Welle, 15 Nov 2014
The
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared itself free of Ebola on Saturday
after a three-month outbreak of the viral disease claimed the lives of 49
people.
Health
Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said no new cases had been registered since October
4.
He warned,
however, that "the end of the epidemic … does not mean we are completely
out of danger."
"Like
every other nation, the Democratic Republic of Congo remains threatened by the
possible import of the Ebola virus disease raging in West Africa," he
added.
Viral
strain differs
The
outbreak raging in western Africa stems from the Zaire strain, the deadliest of
the five known viral versions, which leaves body organs bleeding.
Zaire, now
known as DRC, was where the world's first known Ebola outbreak occurred in
1976. The disease takes its name from the DRC's Ebola River.
The West
Africa epidemic has killed over 5,000 people, according to figures released by
the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday.
Liberia
lifts state of emergency
On
Thursday, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ended a state of emergency
- a sign that the situation could be improving in one of the countries hardest
hit by the viral strain.
"I
have informed the leadership of the national legislature that I will not seek
an extension of the state of emergency," Sirleaf announced.
He said
authorities and officials were now able to "sustain our fight against the
virus" without the additional emergency measures, imposed in early August.
"The
fight against Ebola is [not] over," Sirleaf emphasized.
sb/ipj (AFP, dpa)
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