14 November 2014 - Monrovia, Liberia. Today, Dr Bruce Aylward, head of the Ebola Response Team at the World Health Organization, wraps up a four-day visit to Liberia to get a better understanding of the Ebola response activities on the ground.

While the number of new cases appears to be declining, with reported cases in the capital city going down from 75 to 25 new cases per day, a mixed picture emerges in different counties.

"Transmission of Ebola virus disease is consistently high in Montserrado County while we are seeing a decline in incidence in Lofa County where zero cases have been reported for more than a week," says Dr Aylward. As of 8 November, the country reported a total of 6 822 cases including 2 836 deaths.

Despite the expressed optimism, the latest observation does not mean that Ebola is under control in Liberia. The virus has the potential to appear in waves, which can be mistaken for declining cases. While the Ebola transmission is on-going, the potential for a resurgence in case numbers, through on-going unsafe burials or undetected cases within the community, remains a real threat which could lead to a further epidemic wave.

"I have entered many buildings and always see the chlorine buckets to wash hands, but not many people forced me to wash my hands. The danger now is that we move to a relaxed mode, instead of staying vigilant," Dr Aylward continues.

During the past week, new Ebola cases were reported in almost every county, with the highest number of new cases in Grand Bassa and Grand Cape Mount County, two counties that previously had very few Ebola patients. Although the daily infection rate reduced from its peak to the current level, the next major task, bringing it down to zero, will be more difficult.

Dr Aylward made similar visits to Guinea and Sierra Leone in October.