*ADDS White House comments

GENEVA/WASHINGTON (AA) - Liberia, one of the three West African states hit by the Ebola over the last year, is free of the virus, the World Health Organization said Saturday.

The country has not recorded any new cases for 42 days, more than double the maximum incubation period for the disease, according to a statement from the UN health agency.

"The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia is over," the statement added. "Forty-two days have passed since the last laboratory-confirmed case was buried on March 28."

More than 4,700 deaths from Ebola have been recorded in Liberia, the highest number in any affected country. Neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to fight the outbreak, which has claimed more than 11,000 lives across the region since early 2014.

In Washington, the White House congratulated the people of Liberia on reaching the milestone, but cautioned that the fight against the deadly virus has yet to be won in Liberia's neighbors.

"We must not let down our guard until the entire region reaches and stays at zero Ebola cases," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement. "And we must all work together to strengthen capacity around the world to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to outbreaks before they become epidemics."