WHO: 'Resurgence of Ebola in Liberia not due to importation'

Monrovia, Liberia (PANA) - The resurgence of the Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia, after the country has been certified Ebola-free, was not caused by virus imported from neighbouring Guinea or Sierra Leone, the World Health Organization (WHO) said here on Friday.

It said the recurrence was most likely from the viruses that infected many people in the country six months ago, rather than from virus importation or by a new emergence from a natural reservoir, such as a bat or other animal.

''As part of the investigation into the source of this new cluster of infections, samples taken from the first person found to have Ebola were sent to the Liberian National Reference Laboratory for genetic sequencing. Tests on these samples have shown that the virus is genetically similar to viruses that infected many people in Margibi County more than 6 months ago, in late 2014,'' the WHO said.

Since the resurgence in Liberia on 29 June 2015 - 50 days after the interruption of the active transmission was achieved on 9 May - five people have been confirmed with the EVD.

PANA on Friday quoted the WHO as saying that 149 people have been identified as contacts and are being monitored closely.

It said Liberia has undertaken the relevant planning to prepare for and respond to the recurrence of Ebola, adding: ''The Incident Management System immediately activated a team to carry out a detailed investigation and began tracing people who had been in contact with the young man while he was symptomatic.''
-0- PANA SEG/VAO 10July2015