GENEVA: The death toll from the Ebola epidemic has risen to 4,950 out of 13,241 cases in the three worst-hit countries of West Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday, calling for widespread rigorous control measures to halt the virus. “Case incidence is declining in some districts in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, while steep rises persist in other districts,” the United Nations agency said in a statement.
The latest figures to November 4 reflect 132 new deaths since the last update issued on Wednesday, which was as of November 2.
A slowdown in Liberia’s Ebola outbreak and the continued rampant rate of infection in Sierra Leone may reflect contrasting ways the two countries are dealing with burials, WHO experts said earlier yesterday.
“The best protective measures for non-affected countries are adequate levels of preparedness including heightened surveillance to detect and diagnose cases early and well-prepared staff and operational planning to ensure that suspect cases are managed safely,” the Travel and Transport Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease said in a separate statement issued yesterday.
Reuters
