The number of confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is closing in 25,000 cases, according to an updated World Health Organization (WHO) report today.
The death toll from the largest Ebola outbreak in history now stands at 10,179.
A total of 150 new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported in the week to 15 March, compared with 116 the previous week. There were 95 new confirmed cases reported in Guinea: the highest weekly total for the country in 2015. Sierra Leone reported 55 new confirmed cases over the same period: the country’s lowest weekly total since late June 2014.
Liberia reported no new confirmed cases for the third consecutive week. March 15 was day 12 since the final patient in Liberia had a second negative test for EVD (42 days must elapse before transmission can be considered to have ended).
11 new health worker infections were reported in the week to 15 March: 3 in Conakry and 1 in Forecariah, Guinea, and 7 in Sierra Leone (4 in Bombali, and 3 in Port Loko). This brings the total number of health worker infections reported across the three most-affected countries since the start of the outbreak to 852, with 492 deaths. In addition, 2 EVD-positive health workers and a number of close contacts were medically evacuated to Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America in the week to 15 March.
Has anyone noted that Liberia had almost 200 probable and suspected cases in the last week reported? How can they fail to test that many, when we are being told “confirmed cases” have disappeared for weeks? Are they testing at all?