WHO Announces Liberia Ebola-Free For Second Time This Year

The World Health Organization announced this week that the African country of Liberia is Ebola-free for the second time this year.

The WHO said in a statement that it "commends the government of Liberia and its people on the successful response to this recent re-emergence."

"It is in full accord with government calls for sustained vigilance," The WHO added.

Mary Grants, a 56-year-old Liberian, told the AFP that she is happy, but worried, about news of the eradication.

"I am happy, very happy to hear that pronouncement by the WHO but this is not the first time. So I am happy -- and worried," Grants said.

"I am worried because the experts told us that there will always be some re-occurrence of this virus, though it may not be like the first."

Over 4,800 people have died in Liberia since the Ebola outbreak began in 2013.

Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report that the Liberian government is to credit for eradicating the disease for the second time this year.

The disease was previously announced eradicated in May, but then returned in June when a 17-year-old boy was infected.

"The rapid identification and control of this most recent Ebola cluster highlight the important achievements [the Liberia Ministry of Health] has made in enhancing its public health response capacity," the researchers with the CDC wrote in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report recently.