Ebola Virus Death Toll: 74 People Diagnosed With Ebola Fever Die in Guinea

In one of the worst ever outbreaks of the Ebola virus, Guinea confirmed on Tuesday 74 people diagnosed with the deadly Ebola fever had died so far this year.

The health ministry said there had been 121 confirmed cases of Ebola - an incurable disease that can kill up to 90 percent of its victims - since January.

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Ebola is caused by a virus via direct contact with body fluids or infected blood. Scientists have identified five types of Ebola or Ebola hemorrhagic fever virus.

Four people are receiving treatment in the capital Conakry, and six in Gueckedou, in the south of the country, which has seen one of the most serious outbreaks.

But the ministry said there had been "no new cases of Ebola recorded" since Sunday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described west Africa's first Ebola outbreak as one of the most challenging since the virus emerged in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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The disease has spread to neighboring Liberia, with suspected cases reported in Mali and Sierra Leone.

Ebola leads to hemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

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Guinea's 121 confirmed cases form part of a bigger caseload of viral hemorrhagic fever in the country, although not all victims have been confirmed as having the Ebola virus.

The WHO said Friday there had been 218 cases of this type of fever in the country since January.

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So far, experts have not been able to determine what those testing negative for Ebola have caught.

There is no vaccine or cure for Ebola, which can easily spread among humans through contact with infected blood, bodily fluids and tissue. The most severe strains have had a 90 percent fatality rate.

The virus can be stopped only by isolating suspected cases in ultra-clean conditions and quarantining those who have been in contact with them.

Source-AFP