Uganda Ebola outbreak officially over

The authorities in Uganda say an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus is at an end.

The head of the national task force that was dealing with it, Dr Sam Okware, told the BBC that there were no new cases anywhere in the country and he was assured the epidemic was over.

It struck the district of Gulu, in northern Uganda, last September, claiming over a hundred-and-seventy lives.

The virus is highly contagious and can cause severe haemorrhaging.

There is no known cure. Correspondents say it is difficult to predict if or when Ebola will return.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service