EBOLA OUTBREAK: DEATH TOLL RISES TO OVER 140 IN LIBERIA, GUINEA

Ebola outbreak: Death toll rises to over 140 in Liberia, Guinea

By Faith Karimi, CNN

April 23, 2014 -- Updated 1204 GMT (2004 HKT)

A Guinea-Bissau customs official watches arrivals from Conakry, the capital of Guinea, on Tuesday, April 8. Conakry is being ravaged by an Ebola virus epidemic, and Guinea-Bissau officials are concerned about a possible case inside their borders.

Ebola outbreak in West Africa

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The virus is still limited to Guinea and Liberia
Nineteen suspected cases reported in Sierra Leone tested negative
Ebola, one of the world's deadliest viruses, kills up to 90% of those infected

(CNN) -- A total of 142 deaths have been reported from the Ebola outbreak in Guinea and Liberia, the World Health Organization said.
Dozens killed by ebola outbreak
Doctors work to isolate Ebola outbreak

The virus is still limited to the two nations, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, despite rumors of it spreading to other countries.

Nineteen suspected cases reported in Sierra Leone tested negative for the virus, it said.

In a statement on its website, WHO said Guinea has reported a total of 208 clinical cases of Ebola, including 136 deaths. Liberia has reported 34 cases, including six deaths.

Ebola is one of the world's deadliest viruses and kills up to 90% of those infected. It spreads in the blood and shuts down the immune system, causing high fever, headache and muscle pain, often accompanied by bleeding.

It's the first emergence of Ebola in western Africa, which means doctors and health officials in the region don't have any experience with the virus.

The aid organization Doctors Without Borders has called the outbreak unprecedented because previous cases have been limited to a small area.

The virus is named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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