The Ebola Epidemic Is Finally Slowing

GENEVA (Reuters) - The number of new confirmed Ebola cases totalled 99 in the week to Jan. 25, the first time the weekly total has fallen below 100 since June 2014, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

"The response to the EVD (Ebola virus disease) epidemic has now moved to a second phase, as the focus shifts from slowing transmission to ending the epidemic," the WHO said.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak killed nearly 9,000 people, mostly in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Ebola often begins with flu-like symptoms and a fever and can progress to internal and external bleeding and organ failure.

The African countries hit hardest by Ebola struggled for months to eradicate the disease because they lacked the resources necessary to stop its spread and treat patients, who need to be isolated and kept hydrated.

New cases are still being reported in these countries, but the spread of Ebola seems to have slowed significantly from the peak of the outbreak last year.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)