The total number of new cases of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) has remained 3 cases per week for 4 weeks in a row and in the week to 23rd August, all 3 cases reported were from Conarky, Guinea's capital.
For the first time in 4 consecutive weeks a new health worker infection was reported from Conakry, Guinea.
The reported cases were said to have generated a substantial number of high-risk contacts.
According to the WHO weekly reports on Ebola, one of the cases, a woman, nearly middle aged, was a registered contact of a previous case in Conakry but was lost to follow-up, and was detected to be EVD-positive after post-mortem testing. She was one of the 35 contacts that were lost to follow-up in Conakry in the past 6 weeks.
Findings suggest that she travelled outside Conakry to consult a traditional healer in the prefecture of Dubreka before her death.
Another was that of a nearly middle aged male taxi driver, who was not a registered contact, and is thought to have worked for a short time in Conakry whilst showing symptoms. Efforts to trace passengers who may be contacts are ongoing.
A male health worker who was registered as a contact after treating the taxi driver at a private clinic subsequently also tested positive for EVD.
More than 40 contacts from the clinic and household have been identified so far.
Sierra Leone
No new cases were reported from Sierra Leone in the week to 23rd August and in the previous week.
The country seems to be finally on track to being Ebola-free after health authorities released the country’s last known EVD patient.
The last case to be diagnosed with EVD completed treatment and was discharged from an Ebola treatment centre on 24th August after testing negative twice for EVD.
Follow up cases
Total number of contacts under observation continues to fall, from over 800 on 16th August to roughly 600 on 23rd August in 4 Guinean prefectures and 2 Sierra Leonean districts.
Follow up cases in Sierra Leone have dropped from 72 contacts in 3 districts (August 19) to 29 contacts in 2 districts.
All contacts associated with the Tonkolili cluster of cases have completed follow-up.[WHO]
Liberia
No new cases were reported from Liberia in the week to 23rd August. Surveillance continues to be strengthened, with approximately 800 samples tested for EVD in the week to 23rd August.
Warnings against complacency continue to be issued by health authorities.
Even if Sierra Leone attains the 42-day mark without any cases and is declared ‘Ebola-free’ by the World Health Organisation, the threat will still remain.
Neighbouring Liberia was declared free of the disease in May only to experience another minor outbreak a few weeks later.
President Ernest Bai Koroma, of Sierra Leone said in a statement on Monday that: ‘The Ebola fight is not yet over – go and tell members of your community that.’
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