WHO: Ebola outbreak ‘pretty much contained’ in Nigeria, Senegal

The spread of Ebola has been “pretty much contained” in two West African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday. 

There have been no new Ebola cases reported in Senegal and Nigeria for several weeks, according to a report from the WHO’s regional office for Africa.

{mosads}A total of 5,833 cases have been recorded in six West African countries — the majority reported in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. About 140 new cases have been reported in those countries, according to the WHO. 

The organization is still battling major challenges to controlling the outbreak, including “inadequate numbers” of health workers and beds in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. 

Across the continent, a total of 355 health workers have contracted the disease, and nearly half have died, the report said. 

The WHO also warns of “community resistance and insecurity” in Guinea. At least eight Ebola aid workers and journalists were murdered by villagers there last week, signaling widespread distrust of international efforts to manage the outbreak. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted that the outbreak’s worst-case scenario could result in 500,000 people dead, far exceeding previous projections, according to a report Monday by Bloomberg News.  

The United Nations Security Council also addressed the Ebola crisis last week — the first time a disease has ever prompted an emergency session.