A young Guinean who tested positive for the Ebola virus in Côte d’Ivoire after arriving two weeks ago has recovered from the disease, the Ivorian Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.
“We performed two biological tests on the patient which came back negative 48 hours apart. She is therefore declared cured, “Serge Eholie, ministry spokesperson and head of the country’s infectious diseases department, told AFP.
“We are lifting his isolation today (Tuesday). It is no longer a risk of contamination. She is still very tired, we are keeping her in the hospital, ”added the professor.
His diagnosis was the first confirmed case of Ebola in Côte d’Ivoire since 1994.
The 18-year-old had traveled to Abidjan by bus from Labé in northern Guinea, a journey of around 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) that crosses a densely forested area where Ebola outbreaks have broken out. earlier this year and 2013-16.
The World Health Organization has identified 49 people who have been in contact with the woman, and Côte d’Ivoire launched a vaccination campaign earlier this month to target those who were in immediate contact with the patient and the forces. security along the border with Guinea.
Ebola, which is spread through close contact with bodily fluids, is a fatal viral disease that causes severe fever and, in the worst case, unstoppable bleeding.
Côte d’Ivoire is the third African country this year to have been affected by the Ebola virus after the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea.
Her case had sparked a dispute between the two countries after Guinea requested reconfirmation of her positive test, prompting Eholie to maintain her diagnosis last week.
(AFP)
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