Senegal free from Ebola, says WHO

The West African nation of Senegal is free of Ebola, the World Health Organisation (WHO), said in a statement on Friday. It commended the country on the efforts to keep the threat at bay.

Senegal had only one case, a man who had entered the country by road from Guinea, where he had had direct contact with an Ebola patient.

"The government's response included identifying and monitoring 74 close contacts made by the man for signs of infection. It also introduced prompt testing of all suspected cases, increased surveillance at entry points to Senegal and nationwide public awareness campaigns," the WHO statement said.

The patient recovered from Ebola and tested negative for the virus on September 5, the statement said. He has since returned to Guinea. Since then, 42 days have passed -- double the maximum known incubation period for the virus -- without another case, allowing Senegal to be declared free of Ebola.

"While the outbreak is now officially over, Senegal's geographical position makes the country vulnerable to additional imported cases of Ebola virus disease," it said.

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