Mali's health minister declares the West African country officially free of the deadly Ebola virus

The Mali government says the West African nation is now free from Ebola. In the last six weeks there have been no recorded new cases of the deadly virus.

With six deaths recorded Mali has escaped the worst of the epidemic, which the World Health Organisation says has killed more than 8400 people in neighbouring Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ousmane Koné, the country’s Health Minister, said:

“After 42 days of monitoring with no confirmed Ebola virus cases and in accordance with the international sanitary directive, I declare today, January 18, 2015, the end of the Ebola epidemic in Mali. From now on travelers and goods will no longer be subject to special treatment.”

At one point health officials in Mali had been monitoring over 300 people thought to have been in contact with infected persons.

The last known infected patient recovered and left hospital early in December.

The Health Minister thanked the government and his ministry for their efforts in putting an end to the outbreak. He also called on people to maintain the the preventative methods of hygiene that they have been advised on applying throughout the crisis.