Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed an electrical immunosensor for early detection of heart attacks, which provides results in just one minute.<br />
<br />
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Therefore, a fast and reliable diagnosis of heart attack is urgently needed, researchers said.&nbsp;The system works by measuring the level of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a protein that is excreted by the heart muscle into the blood following a heart attack.<br />
<br />
&quot;This new immunosensor is constructed in a different way than any other sensor. Owing to the new design of this immunosensor, this device is able to rapidly diagnose the level of heart attacks at the point of care,&quot; said Jaesung Jang from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea.<br />
<br />
Using just a single droplet of blood, this immunosensor detects the target protein present in the blood serum following a heart attack and provides a result in one minute.<br />
<br />
In the study, dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces were applied to attract the target protein. The incubation time required for the detection is decreased through DEP-mediated biomarker concentration, in which the target protein is attracted onto the sensing areas via electrical forces.&nbsp;Therefore, the dielectrophoretic concentration of cTnI reduced the incubation time required from 60 minutes to one minute, researchers said.<br />
<br />
&quot;The level of cTnI within a single droplet of blood serum is not great. However, we were able to attract the target protein onto the sensing areas via electrical forces, thereby greatly improving detection time and detection limit,&quot; said Chang-Ho Han from UNIST.<br />
<br />
According to researchers, including Abhinav Sharma from UNIST, this novel immunosensor holds considerable potential for use as a platform for sensing distinct types of proteins, along with the feasibility of miniaturisation and integration for biomedical diagnosis.&nbsp;The findings were published in the journal Biosensors &amp; Bioelectronics.<br />
<br />
(PTI)

Using just a single droplet of blood, this immunosensor detects the target protein present in the blood serum following a heart attack

Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed an electrical immunosensor for early detection of heart attacks, which provides results in just one minute. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Therefore, a fast and reliable diagnosis of heart attack is urgently needed, researchers said. The system works by measuring the level of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a protein that is excreted by the heart muscle into the blood following a heart attack. "This new immunosensor is constructed in a different way than any other sensor. Owing to the new design of this immunosensor, this device is able to rapidly diagnose the level of heart attacks at the point of care," said Jaesung Jang from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea. Using just a single droplet of blood, this immunosensor detects the target protein present in the blood serum following a heart attack and provides a result in one minute. In the study, dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces were applied to attract the target protein. The incubation time required for the detection is decreased through DEP-mediated biomarker concentration, in which the target protein is attracted onto the sensing areas via electrical forces. Therefore, the dielectrophoretic concentration of cTnI reduced the incubation time required from 60 minutes to one minute, researchers said. "The level of cTnI within a single droplet of blood serum is not great. However, we were able to attract the target protein onto the sensing areas via electrical forces, thereby greatly improving detection time and detection limit," said Chang-Ho Han from UNIST. According to researchers, including Abhinav Sharma from UNIST, this novel immunosensor holds considerable potential for use as a platform for sensing distinct types of proteins, along with the feasibility of miniaturisation and integration for biomedical diagnosis. The findings were published in the journal Biosensors & Bioelectronics. (PTI)

Researchers develop new sensor to detect heart attacks in one minute

Phones or watches may be smart enough to detect sound, light, motion, touch, direction, acceleration and even the weather, but they can`t smell.<br />
<br />
That`s created a technology bottleneck that companies have spent more than a decade trying to fill. Most have failed.<br />
<br />
A powerful portable electronic nose, says Redg Snodgrass, a venture capitalist funding hardware start-ups, would open up new horizons for health, food, personal hygiene and even security.<br />
<br />
Imagine, he says, being able to analyse what someone has eaten or drunk based on the chemicals they emit; detect disease early via an app; or smell the fear in a potential terrorist. &quot;Smell,&quot; he says, &quot;is an important piece&quot; of the puzzle.<br />
<br />
It`s not through lack of trying. Aborted projects and failed companies litter the aroma-sensing landscape. But that`s not stopping newcomers from trying.<br />
<br />
Like Tristan Rousselle`s Grenoble-based Aryballe Technologies, which recently showed off a prototype of NeOse, a hand-held device he says will initially detect up to 50 common odours. &quot;It`s a risky project. There are simpler things to do in life,&quot; he says candidly.<br />
<br />
<strong>MASS, NOT ENERGY</strong><br />
<br />
The problem, says David Edwards, a chemical engineer at Harvard University, is that unlike light and sound, scent is not energy, but mass. &quot;It`s a very different kind of signal,&quot; he says.<br />
<br />
That means each smell requires a different kind of sensor, making devices bulky and limited in what they can do. The aroma of coffee, for example, consists of more than 600 components.<br />
<br />
France`s Alpha MOS was first to build electronic noses for limited industrial use, but its foray into developing a smaller model that would do more has run aground. Within a year of unveiling a prototype for a device that would allow smartphones to detect and analyse smells, the website of its US-based arm Boyd Sense has gone dark. Neither company responded to emails requesting comment.<br />
<br />
The website of Adamant Technologies, which in 2013 promised a device that would wirelessly connect to smartphones and measure a<br />
user`s health from their breath, has also gone quiet. Its founder didn`t respond to emails seeking comment.<br />
<br />
For now, start-ups focus on narrower goals or on industries that don`t care about portability.<br />
<br />
California-based Aromyx, for example, is working with major food companies to help them capture a digital profile for every odour, using its EssenceChip. Wave some food across the device and it captures a digital signature that can be manipulated as if it were a sound or image file.<br />
<br />
But, despite its name, this is not being done on silicon, says CEO Chris Hanson. Nor is the device something you could carry or wear. &quot;Mobile and wearable are a decade away at least,&quot; he says.<br />
<br />
Partly, the problem is that we still don`t understand well how humans and animals detect and interpret smells. The Nobel prize for understanding the principles of olfaction, or smell, was awarded only 12 years ago.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;The biology of olfaction is still a frontier of science, very connected to the frontier of neuroscience,&quot; says Edwards, the Harvard chemical engineer.<br />
<br />
<strong>MORE PUSH THAN PULL</strong><br />
<br />
That leaves start-ups reaching for lower-hanging fruit.<br />
<br />
Snodgrass is funding a start-up called Tzoa, a wearable that measures air quality. He says interest in this from polluted China is particularly strong. Another, Nima, raised $9 million last month to build devices that can test food for proteins and substances, including gluten, peanuts and milk. Its first product will be available shortly, the company says.<br />
<br />
For now, mobile phones are more likely to deliver smells than detect them. Edwards` Vapor Communications, for example, in April launched Cyrano, a tub-sized cylinder that users can direct to emit scents from a mobile app - in the same way iTunes or Spotify directs a speaker to emit sounds.<br />
<br />
Japanese start-up Scentee is revamping its scent-emitting smartphone module, says co-founder Koki Tsubouchi, shifting focus from sending scent messages to controlling the fragrance of a room.<br />
<br />
There may be scepticism - history and cinemas are littered with the residue of failed attempts to introduce smell into our lives going back to the 1930s - but companies sniff a revival.<br />
<br />
Dutch group Philips filed a recent patent for a device that would influence, or prime, users` behaviour by stimulating their senses, including through smell. Nike filed something similar, pumping scents through a user`s headphones or glasses to improve performance.<br />
<br />
The holy grail, though, remains sensing smells.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Samsung Electronics was recently awarded a patent for an olfactory sensor that could be incorporated into any device, from a smartphone to an electronic tattoo.<br />
<br />
One day these devices will be commonplace, says Avery Gilbert, an expert on scent and author of a book on the science behind it, gradually embedding specialised applications into our lives.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;I don`t think you`re going to solve it all at once,&quot; he says.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

Aryballe Technologies displayed a prototype of NeOse, a hand-held device that can detect up to 50 common odours

Phones or watches may be smart enough to detect sound, light, motion, touch, direction, acceleration and even the weather, but they can`t smell. That`s created a technology bottleneck that companies have spent more than a decade trying to fill. Most have failed. A powerful portable electronic nose, says Redg Snodgrass, a venture capitalist funding hardware start-ups, would open up new horizons for health, food, personal hygiene and even security. Imagine, he says, being able to analyse what someone has eaten or drunk based on the chemicals they emit; detect disease early via an app; or smell the fear in a potential terrorist. "Smell," he says, "is an important piece" of the puzzle. It`s not through lack of trying. Aborted projects and failed companies litter the aroma-sensing landscape. But that`s not stopping newcomers from trying. Like Tristan Rousselle`s Grenoble-based Aryballe Technologies, which recently showed off a prototype of NeOse, a hand-held device he says will initially detect up to 50 common odours. "It`s a risky project. There are simpler things to do in life," he says candidly. MASS, NOT ENERGY The problem, says David Edwards, a chemical engineer at Harvard University, is that unlike light and sound, scent is not energy, but mass. "It`s a very different kind of signal," he says. That means each smell requires a different kind of sensor, making devices bulky and limited in what they can do. The aroma of coffee, for example, consists of more than 600 components. France`s Alpha MOS was first to build electronic noses for limited industrial use, but its foray into developing a smaller model that would do more has run aground. Within a year of unveiling a prototype for a device that would allow smartphones to detect and analyse smells, the website of its US-based arm Boyd Sense has gone dark. Neither company responded to emails requesting comment. The website of Adamant Technologies, which in 2013 promised a device that would wirelessly connect to smartphones and measure a user`s health from their breath, has also gone quiet. Its founder didn`t respond to emails seeking comment. For now, start-ups focus on narrower goals or on industries that don`t care about portability. California-based Aromyx, for example, is working with major food companies to help them capture a digital profile for every odour, using its EssenceChip. Wave some food across the device and it captures a digital signature that can be manipulated as if it were a sound or image file. But, despite its name, this is not being done on silicon, says CEO Chris Hanson. Nor is the device something you could carry or wear. "Mobile and wearable are a decade away at least," he says. Partly, the problem is that we still don`t understand well how humans and animals detect and interpret smells. The Nobel prize for understanding the principles of olfaction, or smell, was awarded only 12 years ago. "The biology of olfaction is still a frontier of science, very connected to the frontier of neuroscience," says Edwards, the Harvard chemical engineer. MORE PUSH THAN PULL That leaves start-ups reaching for lower-hanging fruit. Snodgrass is funding a start-up called Tzoa, a wearable that measures air quality. He says interest in this from polluted China is particularly strong. Another, Nima, raised $9 million last month to build devices that can test food for proteins and substances, including gluten, peanuts and milk. Its first product will be available shortly, the company says. For now, mobile phones are more likely to deliver smells than detect them. Edwards` Vapor Communications, for example, in April launched Cyrano, a tub-sized cylinder that users can direct to emit scents from a mobile app - in the same way iTunes or Spotify directs a speaker to emit sounds. Japanese start-up Scentee is revamping its scent-emitting smartphone module, says co-founder Koki Tsubouchi, shifting focus from sending scent messages to controlling the fragrance of a room. There may be scepticism - history and cinemas are littered with the residue of failed attempts to introduce smell into our lives going back to the 1930s - but companies sniff a revival. Dutch group Philips filed a recent patent for a device that would influence, or prime, users` behaviour by stimulating their senses, including through smell. Nike filed something similar, pumping scents through a user`s headphones or glasses to improve performance. The holy grail, though, remains sensing smells. Samsung Electronics was recently awarded a patent for an olfactory sensor that could be incorporated into any device, from a smartphone to an electronic tattoo. One day these devices will be commonplace, says Avery Gilbert, an expert on scent and author of a book on the science behind it, gradually embedding specialised applications into our lives. "I don`t think you`re going to solve it all at once," he says. (Reuters)

Portable electronic nose to broaden scope for health industry

In a rare case, a 22-year-old woman has given birth to &#39;Siamese twins&#39; at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Latur district of Maharashtra, doctors said today.<br />
<br />
The woman, Tasleen Masuldar, last night gave birth to the &#39;Siamese twins&#39;, said doctor Bhaurao Yadav to PTI, who performed a Cesarean on her<br />
<br />
&quot;The two children have two hands, two legs, separate heads each, but they posses a common liver and heart,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
According to Yadav, the patient hails from Sastur village and now her condition is stable.&nbsp;<br />
(PTI)

The two children have two hands, two legs, separate heads each, but they share a liver and heart

In a rare case, a 22-year-old woman has given birth to 'Siamese twins' at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Latur district of Maharashtra, doctors said today. The woman, Tasleen Masuldar, last night gave birth to the 'Siamese twins', said doctor Bhaurao Yadav to PTI, who performed a Cesarean on her "The two children have two hands, two legs, separate heads each, but they posses a common liver and heart," he said. According to Yadav, the patient hails from Sastur village and now her condition is stable. (PTI)

Woman gives birth to Siamese twins in Maharashtra

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{134}" paraid="100684559">Delhi&#39;s population of 10 million&nbsp;is served by 38&nbsp;state-run&nbsp;hospitals.&nbsp;&nbsp;The job they do is admirable given the workload --&nbsp;India&#39;s doctor to patient ratio is 1:1,700 -- a&nbsp;visit to one is not always a pleasant experience. Government-run&nbsp;hospitals tend to be&nbsp;a&nbsp;messy, chaotic affair.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{215}" paraid="365142878">Madhuri,&nbsp;therefore,&nbsp;is fortunate. She has a fever and has been feeling nauseous but she will not have to make the trek to the nearest government hospital.&nbsp;She&nbsp;will&nbsp;instead&nbsp;go&nbsp;to her&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;or&nbsp;neighbourhood&nbsp;clinic&nbsp;the first of which was set up by Delhi&#39;s&nbsp;Aam&nbsp;Aadmi&nbsp;Party (common&nbsp;man&nbsp;party) government in July 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{222}" paraid="1477063622">At the clinic,&nbsp;Madhuri&nbsp;is taken to a doctor who gives her a&nbsp;physical check-up&nbsp;and then takes a blood sample to test for dengue fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{226}" paraid="756363643">Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;results come back in under a minute.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{229}" paraid="12864790">In under a minute! How can that be possible?&nbsp;Even a private laboratory&nbsp;in Delhi takes at least a day to return test results.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{237}" paraid="1948929865">The miracle worker in this little two-room clinic in the Indian capital&#39;s&nbsp;Peeragarhi&nbsp;area is&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;Slate, a compact, 8x12-inch&nbsp;portable device that hooks up to Android phones and tablet computers and allows doctors to conduct as many as 33 diagnostic tests &ndash; including for&nbsp;malaria, dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, and HIV. A blood or urine sample is placed on a disposable strip, inserted into the Slate, and in less than a minute the results show up on the doctor&#39;s tablet or phone.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{241}" paraid="1181462168">The Slate can also do an ECG&nbsp;and check blood pressure and heart rates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{246}" paraid="1949557041">((insert picture here of the&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;Slate)&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{28}" paraid="2020582874">The&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;(means health in Hindi)&nbsp;Slate has been a hit so far with both doctors and patients.&nbsp;Each unit costs about&nbsp;Rs&nbsp;40,000 or&nbsp;US$&nbsp;600.&nbsp;Aided&nbsp;by the Slate, a doctor is able to see and diagnose about 50&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;more patients than he did before. &ldquo;As many as 300 patients come to us a day. Earlier, I could diagnose about&nbsp;100 of them. Today,&nbsp;over an eight-hour shift and with the help of the Slate, I can diagnose as many as 150,&quot; says Rather&nbsp;Basit&nbsp;Nazir, the government doctor who&nbsp;has been manning the&nbsp;Peeragarhi&nbsp;clinic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{35}" paraid="1791850438">The next time those 150 patients come in,&nbsp;Nazir&nbsp;will have their medical history handy,&nbsp;for the Slate stores it in the cloud.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{40}" paraid="424907524">&ldquo;I have all his information handy before a patient gets to me. I don&rsquo;t have to call him back with his test reports. That helps both us and the patient save time,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Nazir.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{55}" paraid="1980413343">Which was exactly why&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Kanav&nbsp;Kahol, a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University, invented the Slate &ndash; to speed up testing and to cut costs. The Slate also recommends what treatment and medication can be given to patients, says&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Vijender&nbsp;Jeph, who heads business development for the Slate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{61}" paraid="322069114">Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;test comes back positive. She does have&nbsp;dengue&nbsp;fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{77}" paraid="1960217798">Dr&nbsp;Basit&nbsp;checks his phone &ndash; to see what the Slate tells him about treatment &ndash; and writes out a prescription. As an added precaution, he also tests&nbsp;Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;four-year-old son.&nbsp;His test&nbsp;has a&nbsp;negative&nbsp;report.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{102}" paraid="929087681">The&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;clinics have themselves been revolutionary. They were set up to pare down the overcrowding that government hospitals in India, especially in the bigger cities, are&nbsp;synonymous&nbsp;with and,&nbsp;of course,&nbsp;to provide affordable healthcare&nbsp;to people closer to their homes. Private hospitals in India tend to be good but expensive. The Delhi government had promised that a 100 clinics would come up by July.&nbsp;So far they&nbsp;have set up 22.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{121}" paraid="499288928">Which means they will probably miss their deadlines,&nbsp;but the clinics&nbsp;which will be staffed by doctors from government hospitals and will also function as&nbsp;immunisation&nbsp;centres&nbsp;for children, have certainly found a fan in&nbsp;Madhuri. Going to a government hospital earlier&nbsp;would take up almost two days,&nbsp;she says. One day to get there, wait in line, and then go back the next day to collect her reports. &quot;Plus, I never got free medicine there. Here I do. And the tests are so quick. I certainly hope my&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;clinic stays. In fact, I hope they build all 100.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>


The 8x12-inch Swasthya Slate hooks up to Android phones and tablets, and is able to conduct 33 medical tests, including those for dengue, malaria, HIV, and even ECGs, in under a minute

Delhi's population of 10 million is served by 38 state-run hospitals. The job they do is admirable given the workload -- India's doctor to patient ratio is 1:1,700 -- a visit to one is not always a pleasant experience. Government-run hospitals tend to be a messy, chaotic affair. Madhuri, therefore, is fortunate. She has a fever and has been feeling nauseous but she will not have to make the trek to the nearest government hospital. She will instead go to her mohalla or neighbourhood clinic the first of which was set up by Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (common man party) government in July 2015. At the clinic, Madhuri is taken to a doctor who gives her a physical check-up and then takes a blood sample to test for dengue fever. Madhuri's results come back in under a minute. In under a minute! How can that be possible? Even a private laboratory in Delhi takes at least a day to return test results. The miracle worker in this little two-room clinic in the Indian capital's Peeragarhi area is Swasthya Slate, a compact, 8x12-inch portable device that hooks up to Android phones and tablet computers and allows doctors to conduct as many as 33 diagnostic tests – including for malaria, dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, and HIV. A blood or urine sample is placed on a disposable strip, inserted into the Slate, and in less than a minute the results show up on the doctor's tablet or phone. The Slate can also do an ECG and check blood pressure and heart rates. ((insert picture here of the Swasthya Slate) The Swasthya (means health in Hindi) Slate has been a hit so far with both doctors and patients. Each unit costs about Rs 40,000 or US$ 600. Aided by the Slate, a doctor is able to see and diagnose about 50 per cent more patients than he did before. “As many as 300 patients come to us a day. Earlier, I could diagnose about 100 of them. Today, over an eight-hour shift and with the help of the Slate, I can diagnose as many as 150," says Rather Basit Nazir, the government doctor who has been manning the Peeragarhi clinic. The next time those 150 patients come in, Nazir will have their medical history handy, for the Slate stores it in the cloud. “I have all his information handy before a patient gets to me. I don’t have to call him back with his test reports. That helps both us and the patient save time,” says Nazir. Which was exactly why Dr Kanav Kahol, a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University, invented the Slate – to speed up testing and to cut costs. The Slate also recommends what treatment and medication can be given to patients, says Dr Vijender Jeph, who heads business development for the Slate. Madhuri's test comes back positive. She does have dengue fever. Dr Basit checks his phone – to see what the Slate tells him about treatment – and writes out a prescription. As an added precaution, he also tests Madhuri's four-year-old son. His test has a negative report. The mohalla clinics have themselves been revolutionary. They were set up to pare down the overcrowding that government hospitals in India, especially in the bigger cities, are synonymous with and, of course, to provide affordable healthcare to people closer to their homes. Private hospitals in India tend to be good but expensive. The Delhi government had promised that a 100 clinics would come up by July. So far they have set up 22. Which means they will probably miss their deadlines, but the clinics which will be staffed by doctors from government hospitals and will also function as immunisation centres for children, have certainly found a fan in Madhuri. Going to a government hospital earlier would take up almost two days, she says. One day to get there, wait in line, and then go back the next day to collect her reports. "Plus, I never got free medicine there. Here I do. And the tests are so quick. I certainly hope my mohalla clinic stays. In fact, I hope they build all 100."

Delhi makes health check-ups easy with Swasthya Slate ? its one-stop medical test kit

<p>Guinea has reached the end of active Ebola virus transmission, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday, the second such declaration from the country at the epicentre of the global&nbsp;outbreak of the disease.</p>

<p>The proclamation was made because the person with Guinea&#39;s last confirmed case tested negative for the second time more than 42 days ago.</p>

<p>Guinea will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to make sure of the identification of any new cases before they spread to others.</p>

<p>In the most recent outbreak, seven confirmed and three possible cases of the virus surfaced between March 17 and April 6. At least five people died.</p>

<p>Another three cases were recorded in neighbouring Liberia in a woman who had travelled from Guinea and her two children.</p>

<p>The flare-up seems to have occurred after a person came into contact with infected body fluid from an Ebola survivor, WHO said. Since the virus can remain active in certain body fluids for months, the WHO cautions the risk of outbreaks remain.</p>

<p>However, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said on Tuesday that the organisation was confident that affected countries were prepared and could deal with flare-ups efficiently.</p>

<p>Guinea is believed to be where the world&#39;s worst Ebola outbreak occurred, spanning three countries primarily and killing 11,310 people. It first declared itself free of transmission in December.</p>


Guinea has reached the end of active Ebola virus transmission, the World Health Organisation said, the second such declaration from the country at the global epicentre of the disease.

Guinea has reached the end of active Ebola virus transmission, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday, the second such declaration from the country at the epicentre of the global outbreak of the disease. The proclamation was made because the person with Guinea's last confirmed case tested negative for the second time more than 42 days ago. Guinea will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to make sure of the identification of any new cases before they spread to others. In the most recent outbreak, seven confirmed and three possible cases of the virus surfaced between March 17 and April 6. At least five people died. Another three cases were recorded in neighbouring Liberia in a woman who had travelled from Guinea and her two children. The flare-up seems to have occurred after a person came into contact with infected body fluid from an Ebola survivor, WHO said. Since the virus can remain active in certain body fluids for months, the WHO cautions the risk of outbreaks remain. However, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said on Tuesday that the organisation was confident that affected countries were prepared and could deal with flare-ups efficiently. Guinea is believed to be where the world's worst Ebola outbreak occurred, spanning three countries primarily and killing 11,310 people. It first declared itself free of transmission in December.

Guinea declared free of active Ebola transmission - WHO

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