Ebola death toll tops 5,000, steep rise in Sierra Leone cases, says World Health Organisation

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa's three hardest-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has risen to 5,147 out of 14,068 cases at the end of November 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

A further 13 deaths and 30 cases have been recorded in five other countries - Nigeria and Senegal, which have stamped out the virus, as well as Mali, Spain and the United States, it said.

"Steep increases" in Ebola cases continue in Sierra Leone, with 421 new infections reported in the week to November 9, while there have been a total of four confirmed and probable cases in Mali and four deaths, the UN agency said in its latest update.