Ebola Cases Plummet in West Africa, as Endgame Begins
The tide may have turned on the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Last week, only 99 cases were reported. That’s the lowest weekly count since June.
Cases have plummeted in the two countries hit hardest by Ebola, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In December, Sierra Leone was reporting more than 500 cases a week. It tallied only 65 last week.
The epidemic has moved into a new phase, WHO said. The focus has shifted to “ending the epidemic” instead of simply slowing it down. That means concentrating on finding sick people and ensuring they don’t spread the virus, instead of building new treatment centers and diagnostic labs.
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