Zero Cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone

There were no new cases of the Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone in the week to 16th August.

This is the first time since the beginning of the ongoing Ebola outbreak that Sierra leone did not record any case in a one week period.

There were three new cases of the EVD in the week to the 16th of August and all 3 cases were from Guinea.
Furthermore, there were no health worker infections recorded in Guinea and Sierra Leone for the third week in a row.[WHO]

The number of cases per week has remained 3 for the last 3 weeks.

Guinea

All 3 cases are registered contacts of a known chain of transmission and are undergoing treatment at Ebola treatment centers. 

Sierra Leone

Significant progress is being made in Sierra Leone, with the last major quarantine against EVD in the northern village of Massessehbeh, Tonkolili District lifted last Friday, 14th August by President Ernest Bai Koroma.

The district was placed under quarantine after a visitor to the area from the capital; Freetown died there in July. 

Close to 600 residents have completed their 21 day follow up period.

At the cutting of the tape ceremony, President Koroma made the statement that :

"I am sure within August we will start counting the first 21 days of zero (new cases), I believe we cannot go back, we can only go forward."

Small communities comprising of a few dozen people still remain in quarantine in other parts of northern Tonkolili district and in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown.

Follow up cases:

In Guinea and Sierra Leone there is still a total of approximately 800 contacts under observation, and this is an improvement from the 1600 of the week to the 9th of August.

The cases being followed up are in three prefectures and districts in Guinea and Sierra Leone respectively.

In Guinea there are 796 people still under observation while there are 72 in Sierra Leone. 

All other contacts associated with the Tonkolili case in Sierra Leone will be completing their 21 day follow up period by 23rd August.

The WHO has warned of the risk of further transmission due to the large number of people still under observation. Moreover 45 contacts have been lost to follow-up in Conarky Guinea's capital in the last 6 weeks. 
Several high risk contacts, have also been lost to follow-up in Freetown, the Sierra Leonean capital.

However, rapid-response teams are still on the alert and are ready to respond in the occurrence of new cases.

Sierra Leone earnestly anticipates the beginning of the countdown to an Ebola-free declaration from the WHO. It is currently about 15 months since the first patient tested positive in the country.

The nation must go for 42 days (two incubation periods) without a single case  before the declaration can be made.

Liberia is well on its way to being declared Ebola free for the second time as there have been no new cases in the country since the 23rd of July when the last two  patients were discharged from the Ebola treatment center in Monrovia after completing treatment and testing negative to EVD twice. 

Warnings against complacency at this point in the battle have been issued by health authorities.