--- title: Ebola Outbreak: WHO Says Outbreak Cases Reach Over 1,000 description: More than 1,000 people have been killed by Ebola in West Africa, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. canonical: https://time.com/3108357/ebola-outbreak-who/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-13T17:53:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:33.573Z article:section: Health og:title: Ebola Outbreak Cases and Deaths Reach Over 1,000 og:description: More than 1,000 people have been killed by Ebola in West Africa, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. og:url: https://time.com/3108357/ebola-outbreak-who/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6454a6758602186b/69869f1235ba6f87f7c035e9/ebola-liberia-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Ebola in Liberia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ebola Outbreak Cases and Deaths Reach Over 1,000 twitter:description: More than 1,000 people have been killed by Ebola in West Africa, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6454a6758602186b/69869f1235ba6f87f7c035e9/ebola-liberia-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # WHO: More Than 1,000 Killed in Ebola Outbreak > 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 daily 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 daily 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. ## Video: Ebola: The Deadly Virus Outbreak Explained [Watch (HLS stream): Ebola: The Deadly Virus Outbreak Explained](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/oB7TO3G5.m3u8) (1:36)  _Published 2014-07-29. A look at the numbers behind the largest ebola outbreak on record, which has killed 670 people thus far._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Aug 13, 2014 5:53 PM UTC  Liberian nurses carry the body of an Ebola victim on the way to bury them in the Banjor Community on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Aug. 6, 2014. Liberian nurses carry the body of an Ebola victim on the way to bury them in the Banjor Community on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, Aug. 6, 2014. Ahmed Jallanzo—EPA by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Aug 13, 2014 5:53 PM UTC More than 1,000 people have been killed by Ebola in West Africa, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. Some 1,069 of the 1,975 people infected with the disease have died, with 128 new cases and 56 deaths between August 10 and 11 alone. Sierra Leone is home to the majority of the Ebola cases, at 783, while Guinea has the highest number of deaths, at 337\. The outbreak is so far contained to those two countries as well as nearby Nigeria. The WHO additionally reports that about 94-98% of people who have been in contact with Ebola patients in West Africa have been tracked down in a process called “[contact tracing](http://time.com/3101290/what-you-bring-when-youre-going-into-an-ebola-outbreak/).” The process is important because if those contacts are sick, they can be isolated, and if they have no symptoms, they are warned about their risk and told to go to treatment centers if they start to feel unwell. The hope among health experts is that the spread of the disease is curbed by this process of tracking down and isolating contacts. More effort is needed in Liberia, however, where the Liberian Army is continuing to quarantine provinces. The latest data come just a day after a WHO-organized panel [deemed it ethical to use experimental drugs](http://time.com/3104174/who-gets-the-experimental-ebola-drugs/) and vaccines to fight the current outbreak, even if they haven’t been approved for use in humans. There are still questions to be answered about the best and safest way to distribute the drugs, and the WHO will issue further guidance by the end of the month. At that point, countries will determine to whom they plan to give the drugs, with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health [telling TIME](http://time.com/3104174/who-gets-the-experimental-ebola-drugs/) that they will prioritize doctors and health care workers. ## Transcript The Ebola virus is highly contagious and one of the deadliest viruses in the world. A current outbreak is raging in the three West African states of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The outbreak, which has killed over 670. People is the largest Ebola outbreak on record. It won't be considered over until no new confirmed cases appear for 42 days. There have been at least 1, 093 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola in the current outbreak. Humans contract the virus from infected animals or other humans through contact with bodily fluids. Typically, the virus kills around 90 % of those who are infected. But thanks to early treatment, the number has dropped to 60 % in the current outbreak. Because it can take between 2 and 21 days for symptoms to show, health officials suggest keeping a 21 day fever watch. In addition to fever, other symptoms are headaches, joint pain, lack of appetite, difficulty breathing, and sore throat. In later stages, Ebola causes diarrhea, vomiting, and internal bleeding. Though it's been almost 40 years since the disease was first discovered in 1976, the grim reality is that there are currently no cures or effective treatments for the virus. 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