Ebola plagued countries in West Africa might finally be able to declare victory over the deadly virus.

The three countries -- Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- have recorded their first week of no new reported cases of ebola. The fatal virus had claimed the lives of over 11,000 in these parts. But this does not mean that they are completely out of the red yet, as a BBC report reveals that some patients have been lost track of, and as the virus is contagious, there is always the chance that new cases might emerge. So the countries are going to be on high alert for a while longer. As Guinea was probably last in line to get rid of the virus, the country is under more intense scrutiny, and follow-up with patients is crucial.

In August, Sierra Leone reported sending out their last cured Ebola Patient. The patient, Adama Sankoh, was released from the International Medical Corps treatment center in Sierra Leone, and her departure from the clinic was celebrated by hundreds of people, including President Ernest Bai Koroma. According to reports, as the president gave Sankoh her certificate of health he also cautioned that the fight against the deadly virus was not completely over yet. "The Ebola fight is not yet over - go and tell members of your community that," he said. If another case would not have emerged in the next 42 days the country would have been officially declared Ebola-free. But another patient emerged, and the country adjusted its claim, stating that its last known ebola patient was released on September 28. The country is still waiting to be declared Ebola free by the WHO.

At the time Libya had been declared free of Ebola by WHO. The country had suffered the greatest number of lives lost on account of the virus, and Guinea was the only other West African nation that was still embattling Ebola.

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Ebola