West Africa Ebola death toll hits 337
June 28 TN
The death toll in West Africa´s three-nation Ebola outbreak has risen
to 337, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, making it the
deadliest ever outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever.
Fresh data from the UN health agency showed that the number of deaths
in Guinea, the hardest-hit country, has reached 264, while 49 had died
in Sierra Leone and 24 in Liberia.The new toll marks a more than
60-percent hike since the WHO´s last figure on June 4, when it said 208
people had succumbed to the deadly virus.Including the deaths, 528
people across the three countries have contracted Ebola, one of the
deadliest viruses known to man, the WHO said.
Yet agency spokeswoman Fadela Chaib insisted the far higher number of
cases did not mean the virus was spreading faster.There is no sudden
rise," she said in an email to AFP, pointing out that the increase could
be explained by the heightened vigilance in the region and the
confirmation of previously suspected cases.Retroactive investigations
were pushing up the numbers, she said, stressing that WHO´s toll should
be seen as "provisional", since "new samples are being taken daily and
tests are underway.
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