GENEVA, October 22. /TASS/. The number of people infected with the Ebola virus has reached 9,936 people and 4,877 have died, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

“A total of 9,936 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in five affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the United States of America) and two previously affected countries (Nigeria and Senegal) up to the end of 19 October. A total of 4,877 deaths have been reported,” the global health body said in a statement.

EVD outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria were declared over on October 17 and 19, 2014, respectively. “EVD transmission remains persistent and widespread in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. All but one administrative district in Liberia and all administrative districts in Sierra Leone have now reported at least one confirmed or probable case of EVD since the outbreak began,” the statement said.

Overall, in the three countries, 9,911 have been infected and 4,868 people have died. “Cases of EVD transmission remain lowest in Guinea, but case numbers are still very high in absolute terms. Transmission remains intense in the capital cities of the three most affected countries. Case numbers continue to be under-reported, especially from the Liberian capital Monrovia,” it said.

In Liberia, the disease has claimed 2,705 lives out of 4,665 those infected.

“Of the countries with localized transmission, both Spain and the United States continue to monitor potential contacts. On 21 October the single patient with EVD in Spain tested negative for the disease for a second time. Spain will be declared free of EVD 42 days after the date of the second negative test unless a new case arises during that period,” the WHO said.

The global health body convened the third Emergency Committee on Ebola under the International Health Regulations (2005) on October 22.

As of October 12, the death toll from the Ebola virus outbreak exceeded 4,490 people out of some 9,000 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases in seven affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the United States).

Ebola virus outbreak

The Ebola virus disease, previously known as the Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness in humans, often fatal, according to the WHO. The virus is passed on to people from wild animals and can be transmitted from humans to humans. The average EVD case death rate is some 50%

The first outbreaks of the EVD occurred in remote Central African villages, near tropical rainforests. However, major urban and rural areas have been involved in the most recent outbreak in western Africa.

Early supportive care, which includes rehydration and symptomatic treatment, improves the survival rate. No licensed treatment has yet been proven to be able to neutralize the virus but a number of blood, immunological and drug medications are under development. There are no licensed Ebola vaccines yet but two candidates are being evaluated.