Ebola outbreak update: 2 new cases emerge in Guinea

The World Health Organization announced Friday that there were two confirmed cases of Ebola in Guinea.

The re-emergence of the disease suggests that the outbreak may go on its third year on 2016 in West Africa. The new cases are the first ones in West Africa since it was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) after passing 42 days without the disease. However, the new cases suggest that a place can be declared Ebola-free but with many carrying the virus.

One in two of the patients has recovered and was discharged Friday. He is from Forecariah, west Guinea. While the other one is still being treated in a facility in Conakry. According to Reuters, the Forecariah man was infected through a known way of virus transmission but the case of the Conakry man is baffling as he was known to not have come in contact with any Ebola patients.

"On the bumpy road we keep talking about -- the high risk of recurrence -- once again we are navigating a few bumps," said WHO spokesman Margaret Harris in a statement, via BBC's report. "Of course we didn't want it, but we did expect it. Guinea hadn't got to the stage where we were looking at 42 days".

"We suspect that he contracted the disease by another means, perhaps sexual, but we cannot be sure for the time being," said Fode Tass Sylla as reported by the outlet.

According to WHO, a country is declared Ebola-free if 42 days have passed without a new case. The count down will start when last patient gets tested twice and receive a negative result both times. Liberia was granted this status last month, while Sierra Leone will achieve the status in less than a month. However Guinea it may take a while.

"Guinea is not at the stage where they would be counting to zero cases. While you've got active confirmed cases you don't even consider that," said Harris, via the report by Reuters.

Earlier this month, ten people have been quarantined with one person dead in Nigeria after having symptoms similar to Ebola. The deceased person, however, did not have the virus, according to the International Business Times. Among those quarantined were medical staff who handled the patient who died in the hospital. Blood samples have been sent for testing. Nigeria has been declared Ebola-free since October 2014 with only seven recorded casualties from the disease.