Ebola virus: Number of people killed by deadly disease could go higher than 20,000
The disease has already killed 1,552 people but there are fears that the death toll could reach six times the current level Reuters World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director General Bruce Aylward holds up a document during a press briefing on WHO's strategy to combat Ebola, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva The Ebola outbreak in West Africa could eventually exceed 20,000 cases - more than six times the current level, the World Health Organisation says. A new study by the UN health agency also assumes that in many hard-hit areas the actual number of cases may be two to four times higher than is currently reported. The agency has published new figures saying that 1,552 people have now died from the Ebola virus from 3,069 cases reported so far. At least 40% of the cases have been in the last three weeks, the WHO said, adding that "the outbreak continues to accelerate".