The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that two people have fallen ill with Ebola in Guinea, dashing hopes of an imminent end to the worst recorded outbreak of the disease after a two-week spell without any new cases across West Africa. Guinea was weeks away from joining Liberia in being declared free of the virus that has killed more than 11,000 people in an almost 2-year outbreak. Neighboring Sierra Leone also is hallway through the 42-day countdown to being Ebola-free. Guinea authorities said that one of the cases, in Forecariah, appeared to be linked to a previously known chain of infection, while the other in the capital Conakry appeared to be new. "On the bumpy road we keep talking about – the high risk of recurrence – once again we are navigating a few bumps," WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told reporters. "Of course we didn't want it, but we did expect it. Guinea hadn't got to the stage where we were looking at 42 days." Ebola transmission is considered to be over once a locality has gone 42 days without a new case.
