As the world dreads the continuing emergence of new case of EBOLA, Senegal, one of the West African nations struck by the deadly virus, is now officially EBOLA-free. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday.

The World Health Organization announced Senegal EBOLA-free after passing the 42-day benchmark without new confirmed cases. Based on a report by Aljazeera, the benchmark is twice the maximum incubation period for the deadly virus. A similar WHO announcement on Nigeria is anticipated on Monday after the required period without a new infection.

"WHO officially declares the Ebola outbreak in Senegal over and commends the country on its diligence to end the transmission of the virus," the UN health agency stated in a statement.

While Senegal is now declared EBOLA-free, WHO said the nation remained at risk to further cases of the virus being imported. Given its location in EBOLA-struck West Africa and the proximity to the worst-hit nations of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, Senegal is not totally out of danger.

"While the outbreak is now officially over, Senegal's geographical position makes the country vulnerable to additional imported cases of Ebola virus disease," WHO said. "It continues to remain vigilant for any suspected cases by strict compliance with WHO guidelines."

According to The New York Times, Senegal's success to be finally free of EBOLA came as the health organization was reported to have internally recognized its own blatant failures to stop the outbreak months ago. The internal document reportedly went far further than the self-deprecation that organization officials have stated about their response.

WHO said Senegal has only one confirmed case recorded which is non-fatal. The last recorded case was a young student who travelled by road from neighboring Guinea. Last week, he has recovered and has returned to Guinea.

The agency also said Friday that the death toll in West Africa, particularly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone had escalated to 4,546 with 9,191 confirmed cases. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, would reach the 42-day milestone on Monday, after the outbreak infected 20 people and ensued eight deaths.

Aside from West Africa, Spain has recorded one local EBOLA case while the United States recently has three confirmed cases with one death. Separately, Democratic Republic of Congo has also declared an EBOLA outbreak from a different strain of the virus that has killed 49 people and infected 68.

Senegal's response to the EBOLA outbreak was praised by the World Health Organization. WHO applauded its government for reacting promptly to contain the spreading of the virus that resulted to the declaration of the organization that the nation is now officially EBOLA-free.

"Senegal's response is a good example of what to do when faced with an imported case of Ebola," WHO said.

The United Nations highlighted Senegal's response strategy which incorporated isolating and observing 74 close contacts of the patient, rapid testing of all suspected cases, enhanced surveillance at border posts and nationwide public awareness campaigns. WHO also send out a group of epidemiologists to work alongside health ministry workers in addition to medical charity Doctors Without Borders and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While Senegal and Nigeria have successfully contain the virus and are now EBOLA-free, their successes are still rare in dealing with the deadly virus that has ravaged neighboring nations uncontrollably and stimulated alarm and fear worldwide.   

Senegal's success to be EBOLA-free and in isolating the infection sets an example of good practice at an instant when the organization is attempting to strengthen the promptness of 15 other African nations to deal with arriving travelers who are infected with the deadly virus.