Ebola Outbreak 2015: Liberia Declared Virus-Free After 42 Days of No Cases

Liberia is Ebola-free, the World Health Organization (WHO) announces confirming the African country has had no new cases in 42 days.

More than 4,700 deaths from Ebola have been recorded in Liberia, more than in any other affected country.

Neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to fight the outbreak.

Ebola disease has claimed over 11,000 lives across the region since last year.

The WHO regards a country Ebola-free after a 42-day period without a new case – twice the maximum incubation period.

The last confirmed death in Liberia was on March 27.

On May 9, the WHO said in a statement: “The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over.”

According to WHO officials, Ebola was eventually conquered in Liberia through a collective. Care centers and hand washing stations were set up to try to halt the disease, which spreads through contact with sick people.

Billboards went up with slogans such as “Ebola is real”, “wash your hands and don’t touch” and “don’t be the next victim”.

Liberia lost around 250,000 lives in a civil war ending in 2005.

Although Liberia has now been declared Ebola-free, correspondents say the outbreak will have a long-term impact on Liberia’s fragile economy.

The current Ebola outbreak is the deadliest in history. It initially centered on Guinea’s remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore in early 2014, and later spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.