WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in Senegal Over
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iStock/Thinkstock(DAKAR, Senegal) — The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak over for the nation of Senegal, praising the country for its diligence and handling of the disease.
The first case of the disease in Senegal was confirmed on Aug. 29 in a young man who traveled from Guinea, where he had come in contact with an Ebola patient, the WHO said in a statement. That patient tested negative for the disease on Sept. 5, indicating that he had recovered. He was later allowed to return to Guinea on Sept. 18.
Senegal has, since then, “maintained a high level of active ‘case finding’ for 42 days — two times as long as the maximum incubation period of the disease with no further cases reported.
The WHO notes that Senegal government “under laedership of President Macky Sall and the Minister of Health Dr. Awa Coll-Seck, reacted quickly to stop the disease from spreading.”
“The government’s response plan included identifiying and monitoring 74 close contacts of the patient, prompt testing of all suspected cases, stepped-up surveillance at the country’s many entry points and nationwide public awareness campaigns,” the WHO statement read.
While the outbreak has been declared over, the WHO notes that Senegal’s “geographical position makes the country vulnerable to additional imported cases of Ebola.”
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