al , ▁Niger ia , ▁and ▁M ali . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Guinea ▁was ▁declared ▁free ▁of ▁E bol a ▁transmission ▁by ▁the ▁U . N . ▁World ▁Health ▁Organ ization , ▁however ▁further ▁cases ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁reported ▁from ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁The ▁country ▁was ▁again ▁declared ▁as ▁E bol a - free ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁Ep ide mi ology ▁ ▁Research ers ▁from ▁the ▁Robert ▁Koch ▁Institute ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁index ▁case ▁was ▁a ▁one ▁or ▁two - year - old ▁boy ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁remote ▁village ▁of ▁M eli and ou , ▁Gu é ck éd ou ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁N z ér ék or é ▁Region ▁of ▁Guinea . ▁Research ers ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁boy ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁contract ed ▁the ▁virus ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁playing ▁near ▁a ▁tree ▁that ▁was ▁a ▁ro ost ing ▁place ▁for ▁free - tail ▁b ats ▁inf ected ▁with ▁the ▁virus . ▁Dr . ▁Fab ian ▁Le end ert z , ▁an ▁ep ide mi ologist ▁who ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁investig ative ▁team , ▁said ▁E bol a ▁virus ▁is ▁transm itted ▁to ▁humans ▁either ▁through ▁contact ▁with ▁larger ▁wild life ▁or ▁by ▁direct ▁contact ▁with ▁b ats . ▁The ▁boy , ▁later ▁identified ▁as ▁Em ile ▁O u am ou no , ▁fell ▁ill ▁on ▁ 2 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁and ▁died ▁four ▁days ▁later . ▁The ▁boy ' s ▁sister