The current outbreak of Ebola in Africa Ocidental, which has exceeded the borders of three countries for the first time, is the largest geographical spread of the disease, a spokeswoman said today the World Health Organization (WHO).
"This is a complex outbreak involving multiple sites in three countries with much transboundary movement between communities. Highest number of cases in a large city like Conakry and new cases near Monrovia, make it one of the more outbreaks of Ebola challenging in history, "said WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib, in a press conference.
To date, there have been a total of 599 cases of Ebola virus (confirmed, probable and suspected) and 369 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
"The Ebola outbreak is not over. Cases appear daily in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia," he added.
Because the population movement across borders increase the potential for rapid spread of the disease to new areas, WHO fears the outbreak could spread further and called for international cooperation and coordination to handle the situation.
The largest previous outbreak occurred in Gulu, Uganda, in 2000 a total of 425 cases, including 224 deaths.
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