Outbreak surpasses 16,000

According to the World Health Organization, the current outbreak surpasses 16,000 cases with nearly 7,000 deaths from these cases. The United Nations’ health agency issues its latest numbers, focusing on how Ebola has affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone — the three countries where the vast majority of cases have occurred.

The WHO and other health agencies say the scale of the Ebola outbreak is likely significantly worse than even the current high numbers indicate, because many people died before they could be diagnosed and many contracted the disease in remote areas without ready access to health care.