https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/169553-who-to-declare-nigeria-senegal-ebola-free-within-days.html

The World Health Organisation, WHO,
said on Wednesday in Geneva that it may
declare Nigeria and Senegal Ebola-free
within days if they complete a 42-day
period with no new cases.
A statement from WHO indicated that the
completion date for Nigeria would be next
Monday, October 20.
“If the active surveillance for new cases
that is currently in place continues, and no
new cases are detected, WHO will declare
the end of the outbreak of Ebola virus
disease in Nigeria next Monday, October
20 and Senegal on Friday 17 October, it
said.
WHO said this had become imperative
because 42 days from the time when the
last person with high risk exposure tests
negative for the virus, gives sufficient
confidence to declare an outbreak over.
“The 42-day period is twice the generally
accepted maximum incubation period of
the virus,” it said.
However, it said that some incubation
periods were longer, but in 95 per cent of
cases, the incubation period was between
one and 21 days.
It said in 98 per cent cases it was no
longer than 42 days.
WHO said that the virus could survive
even longer, remaining for as much as 90
days in the semen of an infected person.
It noted that outside West Africa, the
spread of the disease had been confirmed
in Spain and the United States.
Possible cases have been investigated in
several other countries, but none has yet
turned out to be Ebola.
The WHO said it was concerned by media
reports that some countries facing a
possible first Ebola case had declared the
cases to be negative within hours.
“Such rapid determination of infection
status is impossible, casting grave doubts
on some of the official information that is
being communicated to the public and the
media,” it said.
WHO called on countries without
recognised laboratories specialising in
viral haemorrhagic fever testing to send
their first 50 negative specimens to a
WHO collaborating centre.
It cautioned that all countries should have
their first 25 positive tests double-
checked.

A big thank you and job well done to all the relevant agencies and individuals who made the eradication a success.

This shows we Nigerians can achieve lots if we are determined.