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| Image credits: Mark Georgiou, BBC |
Ebola is no longer an
"extraordinary health event" and the risk of the virus spreading is
low, the World Health Organization says.
BBC
News report continues;
It
means the disease is not thought to be a significant public health threat to
countries outside of those affected in West Africa.
A
small cluster of cases are still occurring in Guinea, but Sierra Leone and
Liberia have not had any in months.
But
experts say countries must remain vigilant for new flare ups of Ebola.
There
have been 12 of these to date - the most recent on 17 March in Guinea. The WHO
says countries have been able to react to these clusters quickly to contain
them.
And
all original chains of Ebola transmission have ended in the three West African
countries that were plagued by the disease.
Ebola
is spread by close physical contact. The virus is carried in bodily fluids -
blood, vomit and saliva - which means people who care for the sick are
vulnerable to catching the infection.
It
has also been detected in the semen of male survivors, and the WHO says
national and international efforts must be intensified to ensure such men can
have their semen checked to know if they might still be able to spread the
infection.
And
work must continue on the use of Ebola vaccination for intimate and close
contacts of those survivors who still carry the virus, says the WHO.
But
there should be no restrictions on travel and trade with Guinea, Liberia and
Sierra Leone - any such measures should be lifted immediately, it says.
o
Worldwide,
there have been 28,639 cases of Ebola virus disease and 11,316 deaths at 13
March
o
There
are over 10,000 Ebola survivors
o More than 800 contacts of
recently confirmed Ebola cases in Guinea's southern prefecture of Nzérékoré
have been identified and placed under medical monitoring in a bid to contain a
new flare-up
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