MOSCOW, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Ebola death toll in West Africa has reached 2,296, the World Health Organization (WHO)said on Tuesday.
According to the Ebola Response Roadmap Update, issued by WHO on Tuesday, as of September 6 a total of 4,293 Ebola cases were reported in five West African countries of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone, Nigeria and Senegal since the beginning of the current outbreak. The main burden of disease fell on Liberia, Guinea and Sierra-Leone where 2,288 deaths and 4,269 probable, confirmed and suspected cases were reported and about one half of them have occurred within the past 21 days.
Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissue of infected animals or people and the incubation period from time of infection to symptoms ranges from 2 to 21 days.
According to the latest figures, the current outbreak’s case fatality rate now stands at 53 percent. There is no officially approved medication for the Ebola virus, and experts claim prevention is the only cure. Several countries, including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan are currently working on vaccines.
