UN says Ebola death toll "passed the 10,000 mark"

The UN health agency says the death toll from the Ebola epidemic has passed the 10,000 mark, with the three hardest-hit West African countries taking the brunt of the plight. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday that the number of the deaths had hit 10,004 and the total number of cases stood at 24,350. Almost all of the deaths and cases have occurred in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. There have also been six deaths in Mali, one in the United States, and eight in Nigeria, all of which have since been declared Ebola-free.

Spain and Senegal, which have also been declared free of Ebola, had one case each but no deaths. The WHO on Wednesday said the fight against Ebola was "going in the right direction." The United Nations has warned that the spread of the deadly virus is still not fully controlled despite a significant fall in the number of new cases across West Africa. Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever, whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces, or sweat. It can also be spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.