No suspected cases of Ebola have
been found in Iraq, despite reports to the contrary in Iraqi media in the past
week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Describing reports of suspect cases
of the deadly viral infection in Mosul as "rumour", the Geneva-based
United Nations health agency said it and the Iraqi health ministry had
conducted a full investigation, Reuters reports.
"All sources contacted have
negated the existence of any suspected cases of Ebola," the WHO said in a
statement.
"The (Iraqi) Ministry of Health
and the World Health Organization further confirmed that the laboratory
facilities in Mosul do not have the necessary capabilities to diagnose and
confirm the Ebola virus."
Reports of suspected Ebola cases appeared on
Dec. 31 in Iraq's Al-Sabah newspaper, Rudaw online newspaper and on the Shafaq
news agency and were relayed through other media in and outside Iraq, prompting
the WHO and Iraqi authorities to investigate.
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