New Test Finds No Evidence of Ebola Virus in Cote d'Ivoire Case

The government of Cote d'Ivoire has informed the World Health Organization (WHO) that a second laboratory has tested samples from a patient suspected of having Ebola and has found no evidence of the virus. WHO Africa reports that the second tests by the Institut Pasteur in Lyon, France, follow tests conducted by the Institut Pasteur of Cote d'Ivoire.

The initial tests led health authorities in the country to announce their first Ebola case since 1994. But the new results from the laboratory in Lyon mean that the WHO now considers that the patient did not have Ebola virus disease. Further analysis on the cause of her illness is ongoing. The suspected case was a young woman who travelled from Guinea to Cote d'Ivoire.

Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates. Cote d'Ivoire health authorities alerted WHO of the case as required by the International Health Regulations 2005. In line with WHO's no-regrets policy, immediate actions were implemented in both Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea. The no-regrets policy encourages adopting measures immediately before all the dimensions and consequences of an emergency or outbreak are known with the aim of saving as many lives as possible.