The number of people infected with Ebola has climbed to more than 4000 in the three West African countries at the centre of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, there were 4269 suspected and confirmed cases and 2288 deaths as of Saturday, the UN health agency said on Tuesday.
“The increase in cases continues to accelerate in countries with widespread and intense transmission,” the organisation said.
Meanwhile, the United States said it would send 100 additional health workers to West Africa to assist local authorities in isolating and treating patients suffering from the deadly Ebola virus.
Washington will contribute $10 million to pay for the aid workers and fresh supplies, bringing total US aid to $185 million.
WHO has said that at least $600 million dollars will be needed to control the outbreak.
Since the WHO’s last update on Friday, the number of Ebola infections increased by 325 and the death toll by 191 in the three countries.
Most of the transmission hot spots were located in Liberia and Sierra Leone over the last three weeks.
There have also been 21 cases and eight deaths in Nigeria, and three cases in Senegal, WHO said.
The US funding will supply 1000 new beds, 130,000 sets of personal protective equipment, 50,000 hygiene kits, 25 doctors, 45 nurses and additional workers to run isolated treatment units.
“The US is committed to supporting the African Union’s response to the urgent needs across West Africa as a result of this vicious disease. We can and will stop this epidemic, but it will take a coordinated effort by the entire global community,” USAID Administrator Dr Rajiv Shah said.
In a related development, a fourth patient infected with the Ebola virus arrived for treatment at Atlanta, Georgia-based Emory University Hospital on Tuesday morning, the hospital said.
In August, the hospital treated and released two Americans who received the experimental Ebola treatment ZMapp, supplies of which have since run out.
The medical establishment is currently working on other vaccines and treatments.
Another American infected with the Ebola virus was receiving experimental medication as part of his treatment in a biocontainment unit in a hospital in Nebraska.
