Ebola outbreak: Fewer burials, fewer new cases in Liberia, the WHO says
The fight against Ebola in Liberia got some welcome news -- with a little caution.
The number of new cases in the nation appears to be declining, with fewer burials, plateauing lab confirmations and less-cramped hospitals, the World Health Organization said, according to CNN.
If the trend continues, the hardest hit nation will get a much-needed break.
The deadly virus has left at least 4,922 people dead mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
More than half of the deaths have been in Liberia, which has buckled under the weight of the epidemic, and even declared a shortage of body bags this month.
Though health experts expressed optimism, they warned that the latest observation does not mean Ebola is under control in Liberia. The virus has the potential to appear in waves, which can be mistaken for declining cases.
"The danger now is that we move, instead of a steady downward trend that gets us down to zero, that we end up with a oscillating pattern where the disease starts going up and down and areas start getting re-infected," said Dr. Bruce Aylward, an assistant director-general at the WHO.
"What gets the heat out of this thing and slows it down isn't necessarily what is going to get us to zero."
The numbers have been on the decline for about week, he said.
Despite the good news in Liberia, Ebola infections have not slowed down in Sierra Leone, he said.