Ebola epidemic is declining in the spread of the Ebola virus in Liberia, says WHO. WHO Assistant Director General Bruce Aylward told a news conference the number of burials and new admissions had fallen and there was a plateau in laboratory-confirmed cases.
Aylward cautioned against overly optimistic conclusions but said: “We’re seeing a reversal of that rapid rate of increase to the point that there seems to be a decline right now.”
Aylward, asked his assessment of the latest trends, said: “It appears that the trend is real in Liberia, and there may indeed be a slowing of the epidemic there. The government is looking at that information and will come out I believe more definitely in the coming days,” he said.
In Liberia, the National Christian Ebola Task Force, a group of different Christian denominations, began three days of prayer and dawn-to-dusk fasting on Wednesday to seek salvation from the “curse” of the epidemic, which has killed 2,705 people and infected 4,665 more in the West African country.
“Ebola is a virus from the devil. It’s killing us because we have turned our back to God,” said Reverend David G. Benitoe of the Task Force. “We have traded the worship of God with the worship of demons and witchcraft, and evil stuff is now happening in this country.”
Both Senegal and Nigeria have been declared Ebola-free, after passing two incubation periods of a total of 42 days. Cases have also been confirmed in Spain and the United States.
Source: World Health Organization, Switzerland