Ebola virus epidemic death toll exceeds 4,000: WHO

The United Nations agency has said that Friday that nearly 8,400 cases of the diseases have been recorded in seven countries, killing 4,033 people. The three most affected countries are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and nine of the deaths have been in these countries.

A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering Mali from Guinea at the border in Kouremale, Mali. Photographer: Joe Penney/Reuters

Leaders of Ebola-stricken nations stepped up their pleas for help this week, warning that a slow global response could threaten the future of the continent. Exposure of health-care workers to affedted continues to be an alarming feature of this outbreak. As of 8 October, 416 HCWs are known to have developed EVD (74 in Guinea, 201 in Liberia, 11 in Nigeria and 129 in

Sierra Leone, and one in Spain). ongoing. Two hundred and thirty three HCWs have died as a result of EVD infection (38 in Guinea, 95 in Liberia, five in Nigeria, 95 in Sierra Leone). Investigations into HCW exposures are

Health workers attend a protest outside La Paz Hospital, calling for Spain's Health Minister Ana Mato to resign after a Spanish nurse contracted Ebola, in Madrid. Photograph: Andrea Comas

Exposure of health-care workers (HCWs) to EVD continues to be an alarming feature of this outbreak. As of 8 October, 416 HCWs are known to have developed EVD (74 in Guinea, 201 in Liberia, 11 in Nigeria and 129 in Sierra Leone, and one in Spain). 233 HCWs have died as a result of EVD infection (38 in Guinea, 95 in Liberia, five in Nigeria, 95 in Sierra Leone). More than 233 health workers working in West Africa have now died in the outbreak, the world's deadliest to date.

The names of trainee health workers are seen written on their protective suits at a World Health Organization (WHO) training session in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Umaru Fofana/Reuters

A nurse in Spain is being treated for the virus after becoming infected from an Ebola patient who had been repatriated from Liberia - the country most badly hit by the disease with 2,316 confirmed or suspected deaths. Investigations into HCW exposures are ongoing.

Medical staff members wearing sealed protective suits work during the arrival of an Ebola patient at the Universitaetsklinikum Frankfurt (University Hospital Frankfurt) in Frankfurt.Photograph: Ralph Orlowski/Reuters

UN special envoy for Ebola David Nabarro said the number of Ebola cases could be doubling every three-to-four weeks and the response needs to be 20 times greater than it was at the beginning. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the countries needed 20 times more aid than they were already receiving.

"For those who have yet to pledge, I say please do so soon," Ban said. "This is an unforgiving disease."

A health worker brings a woman suspected of having contracted the Ebola virus to an ambulance in Monrovia, Liberia.Photograph: James Giahyue/Reuters

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