WHO: no control over spread of Ebola
The UN's health authority said on Wednesday that a total of 8,033 people had caught the infection up to October 5, and 3,879 of those had died. Liberia and Sierra Leone, the two worst-hit nations, had less than a quarter of the beds needed.
"The situation in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone continues to deteriorate, with widespread and persistent transmission of Ebola," it said. "There is no evidence that the EVD epidemic in West Africa is being brought under control."
It said a reported fall in the number of new cases in Liberia was "unlikely to be genuine" and rather reflected how responders were being overwhelmed by data.
It added that countries neighbouring those affected had been told to prepare for the disease to cross their borders.
The WHO report came hours after burial workers ended a one-day strike in Sierra Leone over unpaid wages, which left contagious corpses of Ebola victims at homes and on the streets of the capital Freetown.
Health workers in Liberia have also threatened to strike if their demands of a $700-a-month salary and safety equipment were not met by the end of the week.
The US secretary of state, John Kerry, meanwhile issued an "urgent plea" to all nations to boost their response to Ebola, as the US announced it was sending 100 marines to Liberia.
"More countries can and must step up," Kerry said, warning there were "still not enough countries to be able to make a difference."
The US also confirmed the first patient diagnosed with Ebola within its borders. Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian, fell ill shortly after arriving in the US on September 20. He had been isolated since September 28 and died in a Dallas hospital.
Health officials have identified 10 people, including seven health workers, who had direct contact with Duncan while he was contagious. Another 38 people also may have come into contact with him.
His death comes two days after a Spanish nurse was confirmed ill with the disease. She is believed to have been infected while treating a Spanish missionary how had been evacuated from Sierra Leone.
Al Jazeera
