According to the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an epidemic of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa is now reported to be "out of control" with more than 60 outbreak hotspots,
"The scale of the current Ebola epidemic is unprecedented in terms of geographical distribution, people infected and deaths," MSF said in a statement.
The incurable disease is spread by contact with bodily fluids including sweat, meaning just touching an infected person is enough to spread the virus.
The rapid spread of the disease, which is deadly in up to 90 percent of cases, has overwhelmed aid agencies and health workers and terrified local communities.
"The epidemic is now out of control," said Bart Janssens, MSF director of operations. "With the appearance of new sites in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, there is a real risk of it spreading to other areas."
"We have reached our limits," Mr Janssens said. "We are no longer able to send teams to the new outbreak sites." Janssens said, as the MSF calls for a "massive deployment" of medical resources by governments in the region to curb the epidemic.
According to Mr Janssens, "Ebola is no longer a public health issue limited to Guinea: it is affecting the whole of West Africa,".
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