Health specialists work in an isolation ward for patients at the Medecins Sans Frontieres facility in southern Guinea. Photo: AFP
Geneva: The number of deaths attributed to an epidemic of Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone stood at 467 by Monday, out of 759 known cases in total, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.
The outbreak of the deadly disease is already the largest and deadliest ever, according to the WHO, which previously put the death toll at 399 as of June 23, out of 635 cases.
The 17 percent rise in deaths and 20 percent jump in cases in the space of a week will add urgency to an emergency meeting of 11 West African health ministers in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday and Thursday, which aims to coordinate a regional response.
In response to the outbreak, Liberian authorities have on Tuesday warned that anyone caught hiding suspected Ebola patients will be prosecuted. Some families, faith healers and traditional doctors were reported to be removing patients from hospital for special prayers and traditional medicine.