UN warns 10,000 new Ebola cases a week in W. Africa by December

West Africa could face up to 10,000 new Ebola cases a week within two months, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday, adding that the death rate in the current outbreak has risen to 70 per cent. WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward gave the grim figures during a news conference in Geneva. Previously, the agency had estimated the Ebola mortality rate at around 50 per cent overall. In contrast, in events such as flu pandemics, the death rate is typically under 2 per cent. Acknowledging that Ebola was “a high mortality disease,” Aylward said the UN health agency was still focused on trying to get sick people isolated and provide treatment as early as possible.

Where is WHO Africa? Where is the African Union? We’ve all heard their promises in the media but have seen very little on the ground.

Shraon Ekambaram, Doctors Without Borders

Experts say the epidemic is doubling in size about every three weeks. WHO raised its Ebola death toll tally Tuesday to 4,447 people, nearly all of them in West Africa, out of more than 8,900 believed to be infected. Doctors Without Borders said 16 of its employees had been infected with Ebola and nine of them have died. For the last month, there’s been about 1,000 new Ebola cases per week – including suspected, confirmed and probable cases.

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