Liberia declared Ebola-free again

MONROVIA, Liberia — The World Health Organization declared Liberia Ebola-free for a second time on Thursday after the country hardest hit by the deadly virus saw a brief resurgence of cases not long after the first time it thought the disease was gone for good.

More than 4,800 people have died in Liberia since the outbreak began in West Africa in late 2013. The country marked what it thought was the end in May, but then six more cases emerged in June.

That started the clock over — 42 days or two incubation periods of 21 days — before Liberia could return to being free of transmission. On Thursday, officials announced they had made it without any more cases.

“Today is a day to celebrate, but we must not forget what we have learned,” chief medical officer Francis Kateh said. “As long as there is one person with Ebola in our region, Ebola is a threat.”

Sierra Leone made it to 42 days only to have a new case emerge. Guinea, where the epidemic began, reported two new cases last week.

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