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| Ebola crisis: Liberia 'faces huge surge' says WHO | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ebola is spreading exponentially in Liberia, with thousands of new cases expected in the next three weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. | Ebola is spreading exponentially in Liberia, with thousands of new cases expected in the next three weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. |
| Conventional methods to control the outbreak were "not having an adequate impact", the UN's health agency added. | Conventional methods to control the outbreak were "not having an adequate impact", the UN's health agency added. |
| At least 2,100 people infected with Ebola have died so far in the West African states of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria this year. | |
| The WHO says 79 health workers have been killed by the virus. | The WHO says 79 health workers have been killed by the virus. |
| Organisations combating the outbreak needed to scale-up efforts "three-to-four fold", the WHO said. | Organisations combating the outbreak needed to scale-up efforts "three-to-four fold", the WHO said. |
| It highlighted Liberia's Montserrado county, where 1,000 beds were needed for infected Ebola patients but only 240 were available, leading to people being turned away from treatment centres. | It highlighted Liberia's Montserrado county, where 1,000 beds were needed for infected Ebola patients but only 240 were available, leading to people being turned away from treatment centres. |
| Transmission of the virus in Liberia was "already intense", and taxis being used to transport infected patients appeared to be "a hot source of potential virus transmission", the WHO said. | Transmission of the virus in Liberia was "already intense", and taxis being used to transport infected patients appeared to be "a hot source of potential virus transmission", the WHO said. |
| "As soon as a new Ebola treatment facility is opened, it immediately fills to overflowing with patients, pointing to a large but previously invisible caseload," it added. | "As soon as a new Ebola treatment facility is opened, it immediately fills to overflowing with patients, pointing to a large but previously invisible caseload," it added. |
| "When patients are turned away... they have no choice but to return to their communities and homes, where they inevitably infect others." | "When patients are turned away... they have no choice but to return to their communities and homes, where they inevitably infect others." |
| The Ebola disease spreads between humans by direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or organs, or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments. | The Ebola disease spreads between humans by direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or organs, or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments. |
| Conventional means of controlling the outbreak, which include avoiding close physical contact with those infected and wearing personal protective equipment, were not working well in Liberia, the WHO said. | |
| However, they appeared to be more effective in "areas of limited transmission" such as Nigeria and Senegal, it added. | |
| Local communities, especially those in rural areas, had been able to slow the transmission when they put in place their own protective measures, the WHO statement said. | |
| 'Economic impact' | |
| Also on Monday, the African Union urged its member states to lift travel bans imposed to contain the virus, saying that the bans could hurt the region's economy. | |
| "We must be careful not to introduce measures that may have more... social and economic impact than the disease itself," commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in quotes carried by AFP news agency. | |
| The current outbreak has mortality rate of about 55%. | The current outbreak has mortality rate of about 55%. |
| Liberia has the highest number of reported cases and deaths, with more than 1,000 casualties so far. | Liberia has the highest number of reported cases and deaths, with more than 1,000 casualties so far. |
| Hundreds have also died of the virus in Guinea and Sierra Leone. | |
| There have been at least eight deaths in Nigeria. One case has also been confirmed in Senegal but there have been no deaths so far. |