There has been tremendous progress in controlling Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa in the last month. New Ebola cases have fallen sharply in the last few weeks to fewer than 100 per week. For the week ending January 25, there were 4 new cases in Liberia, 30 in Guinea and 65 in Sierra Leone. At this point in the epidemic, the focus will shift toward more aggressive case finding, case management, safe burials, and community engagement is used as effectively as possible.
As of late January, 50% of new confirmed cases in Liberia came from known contacts. Once 100% of new cases come from known contacts, epidemiologists will be able to track every chain of transmission, which is the key to tracking down the final cases and stopping transmission once and for all. The World Health Organization has the late January report posted on their website.
