WHO declares Liberia free of Ebola virus transmission.

The World Health Organization on Saturday announced that the outbreak of Ebola virus in Liberia is over, after forty-two days have passed without any new cases, the world body said on Saturday.

The WHO said in a statement that the interruption of transmission is a monumental achievement for a country that reported the highest number of deaths in the largest, longest, and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976.

At the peak of transmission, which occurred during August and September 2014, the country was reporting from 300 to 400 new cases every week.

The WHO said it is a tribute to the government and people of Liberia that determination to defeat Ebola never wavered, courage never faltered. Doctors and nurses continued to treat patients, even when supplies of personal protective equipment and training in its safe use were inadequate. Altogether, 375 health workers were infected and 189 lost their lives.

Local volunteers, who worked in treatment centers, on burial teams, or as ambulance drivers, were driven by a sense of community responsibility and patriotic duty to end Ebola and bring hope back to the country's people. As the number of cases grew exponentially, international assistance began to pour in. All these efforts helped push the number of cases down to zero.

Liberia's last case was a woman in the greater Monrovia area who developed symptoms on 20 March and died on 27 March. The source of her infection remains under investigation. The 332 people who may have been exposed to the patient were identified and closely monitored. No one developed symptoms,all have been released from surveillance.

Health officials have maintained a high level of vigilance for new cases. During April, the country's five dedicated Ebola laboratories tested around 300 samples every week. All test results were negative.

While the WHO is confident that Liberia has interrupted transmission, outbreaks persist in neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone, creating a high risk that infected people may cross into Liberia over the region's exceptionally porous borders.

The government is fully aware of the need to remain on high alert and has the experience, capacity, and support from international partners to do so. The WHO will maintain an enhanced staff presence in Liberia until the end of the year as the response transitions from outbreak control, to vigilance for imported cases, to the recovery of essential health services. Endit