After more than 28,600 people were diagnosed with Ebola since 2014, the World Health Organization has announced the outbreak in West Africa is over. The virus killed more than 11,000 people and left its survivors with life-long medical complications, such as joint pain, the potential for remission and a society hurt with social problems.
Even though this is good news for the part of the world that struggled most with the outbreaks, the WHO stated: “The job is not over. More flare-ups are expected and that strong surveillance and response systems will be critical in the months to come.” Speciially, the WHO is worreid about:
- Male Ebola survivors transmitting the diease through semen during sexual intercourse. The risk of this reduces over time, but has been shown to happen.
- Survivors are at risk for falling into remission for up to 12 months following the infection.