--- title: Ebola U.S. Spain West Africa: At Least 4,000 Have Died description: At least 4,033 people have died of Ebola in seven countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday. canonical: https://time.com/3490776/ebola-outbreak-death-toll-west-africa/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-10T17:45:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:00:29.891Z article:section: Health og:title: Ebola U.S. Spain West Africa: At Least 4,000 Have Died og:description: At least 4,033 people have died of Ebola in seven countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday. og:url: https://time.com/3490776/ebola-outbreak-death-toll-west-africa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcd41e0d8d216b11e/6987602235ba6f5290c04604/ebola-liberia-deaths.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5132 og:image:height: 2887 og:image:alt: Liberia Races To Expand Ebola Treatment Facilities, As U.S. Troops Arrive og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ebola U.S. Spain West Africa: At Least 4,000 Have Died twitter:description: At least 4,033 people have died of Ebola in seven countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcd41e0d8d216b11e/6987602235ba6f5290c04604/ebola-liberia-deaths.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ebola Death Toll Tops 4,000 > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=75d864dc-5dff-4c0f-aa45-d6981aa379f3&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 5 Ebola Questions You're Wondering About [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Ebola Questions You're Wondering About](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9QwqrSi9.m3u8) (2:02)  _Published 2014-08-07. TIME Health Reporter Alexandra Sifferlin explains why there's no cure for Ebola, how infected patients are treated, and more common questions about the disease._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Oct 10, 2014 5:45 PM UTC  An Ebola burial team carries the body of a woman through the New Kru Town suburb on Oct. 10, 2014 of Monrovia, Liberia. An Ebola burial team carries the body of a woman through the New Kru Town suburb on Oct. 10, 2014 of Monrovia, Liberia. John Moore—Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Oct 10, 2014 5:45 PM UTC At least 4,033 people have died of Ebola in seven countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday. More than 8,300 total cases have been confirmed. The new statistics, which include deaths in five West African countries as well as the United States and Spain, come just days after the death of the first patient to be diagnosed in the U.S. The current Ebola outbreak is the worst in history. Numbers released last month warned that under worst-case-scenario circumstances, as many as 1.4 million people may be infected with Ebola by the end of January. And U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden warned Thursday that action was need to prevent Ebola from becoming “the world’s next AIDs.” ## Transcript The Ebola virus is ravaging West Africa, taking at least 800 lives and leaving behind a lot of confusion. Here are five common questions about the disease. Number one, if there's no vaccine and cure for Ebola ,. What are doctors doing to treat infected patients? Currently, doctors can only provide supportive care like monitoring their heart rate, and blood pressure, and making sure their fluids are replenished. This will hopefully help sustain infected patients through the disease. If there's no cure for Ebola, how are some people surviving? When someone is infected with the virus, the body produces antibodies to fight it. People who have survived Ebola have produced enough antibodies to neutralize the virus and eventually, their immune system will clear it. Number three, why is there no vaccine or drug for Ebola? There are currently experimental drugs and vaccines under development. But since Ebola is a relatively rare disease compared to others, there hasn't been a financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to put a lot of funding into these drugs. Number four. How can Americans with Ebola be evacuated back to the U. S .? There are certain plains that medical groups use to evacuate and transport people with very infectious diseases. The plains can be equipped with medical equipment, as well as units to isolate patients from doctors. Doctors accompanying patients will wear full body suits to keep themselves protected. Number 5, what are my chances of getting Ebola in the U. S .? [ MUSIC ] The only way to contract the disease is through direct contact with bodily fluids, which can include blood, vomit, semen, and yes, even sweat. With proper protection and equipment, being infected with the disease is highly unlikely. For more answers to your questions about Ebola and to follow Time's coverage of the disease, visit time. com / ebola. 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