Ebola death toll rises to 7,890: WHO

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in west Africa has risen to 7,890 out of 20,171 cases recorded, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

Since the previous toll published on Monday, the first confirmed case of Ebola has been diagnosed in Britain.

Almost all the deaths and cases have been recorded in the three west African countries worst hit by the outbreak: Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Those apart, six have died in Mali, one in the United States and eight in Nigeria, which was declared Ebola-free in October.

Spain and Senegal, which have both been declared free of Ebola, had one case each, but no deaths.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, which has overtaken Liberia as the country with the most infections, counted 9,446 cases and 2,758 deaths on December 28.

Liberia

Liberia, long the hardest-hit country, has seen a clear decrease in transmission over the past month.

As of December 28, the country had recorded 8,018 cases and 3,423 deaths.

Guinea

In Guinea, where the outbreak started a year ago, 2,707 Ebola cases and 1,708 deaths were recorded.

Healthcare workers

Ebola, one of the deadliest viruses known to man, is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms such as fever or vomiting.

People caring for the sick or handling the bodies of people infected with Ebola are especially exposed.

As of December 28, a total of 678 healthcare workers were known to have contracted the virus, and 382 of them had died, WHO said.

© 2015 AFP