Ebola Outbreak Claims 1013 Lives in West Africa: WHO

The Ebola virus has killed at least 1013 people according to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization. The total number of infections has reached the 1,848 mark.

West African nations - Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone reported 52 deaths between August 7 and 9, 2014.

The Ebola virus disease outbreak was first discovered in March, this year. Poor medical facilities coupled with religious belief and panic has contributed to its spread in the West African nations.

Currently, Sierra Leone has the highest number of EVD cases in Africa with total of 730 people suffering from the Ebola infection.

The disease                                          

EVD is a highly contagious disease with a fatality rate of 90 percent. Common symptoms of the disease include fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. During the next stage of the infection, people suffer from bleeding vomiting, diarrhea and loss of liver function.

There is no treatment for the disease, but three people have received an experimental drug.

The public health emergency has led to a debate on who should get the experimental drugs. So far, the treatment is given to two Americans and one Spaniard. The drugs haven't been tested for safety and efficacy yet.

A WHO Panel convened Monday to discuss the ethics of using test drugs to treat EVD, CNN reported.

California-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical, maker of one of the drugs said that it will send some of the drugs to Liberia, The Guardian reported.

The American aid workers who received the experimental drug are recovering, but there it is not clear whether they are improving on their own or actually responding to the drug. Around 40 percent of Ebola carriers in the West African nations are surviving the current outbreak without the latest treatment, according to the Guardian.