Ebola ‘still flaming’ in West Africa

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s special envoy on Ebola says the deadly virus is “still flaming strongly” in some parts of West Africa.

David Nabarro made the remarks during a news conference on Tuesday in the Swiss city of Geneva.

“We know the outbreak is still flaming strongly in western Sierra Leone and some parts of the interior of Guinea,” Nabarro said.

The UN official added that more foreign health workers and specialists were needed in the areas still battling the virus, calling on the international community to provide more treatment units and beds.

“We can’t sit back and say the job is even partially done because…as long as there is infection in a part of an area that could easily spread, it could even spread to places where current infections levels are zero,” Nabarro warned.

The UN Ebola envoy also pointed out that there was a drop in transmission rates in Liberia.

Sierra Leone faces the most serious outbreak of the disease with reports of up to 100 new cases every day.

Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can also spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.

More than 6,300 people, mostly in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia have lost their lives to the virus. Over 17,800 people have been infected by Ebola.