The devastating effects of Ebola have been felt in West Africa for nearly six months, but the outbreak has become even more dire in recent weeks as death tolls surged and health officials warned of a potential worldwide disaster.
In an effort to contain the outbreak, the United States announced this week that it's sending thousands of military personnel to bolster the region's crippled health care systems. The plan is a major milestone in what has been an especially slow response to a rapidly spreading disease.
In order to highlight just how severe the medical crisis has become in West Africa, The WorldPost has collected some of the most revealing stats on the fight against Ebola.
The number of estimated Ebola deaths as of Sept. 12, 2014.
The total number of Ebola cases reported as of Sept. 12, 2014. Due to many unreported cases, this figure is thought to be less than the actual number of people infected with the virus.
The age of the Guinean boy who some researchers think may have been "patient zero" in the Ebola outbreak. Scientists believe humans originally caught the virus from a sick animal.
The number of West African nations that have reported cases of Ebola. A sixth nation, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has also suffered from an Ebola outbreak, although it is a different strain from the one that originated in Guinea.
The number of months that U.S. scientists predict the outbreak will last under current conditions.
The number of Ebola cases that the World Health Organization estimates could occur by the time the virus is contained. It should be noted, however, that these type of long-term projections are prone to uncertainties and can vary. A recent New York Times report says that researchers at various universities predict the number could be more like 20,000 in a single month.
The total number of health workers that the World Health Organization has called for in order to stem the outbreak and treat people infected with the virus.
The number of U.S. military personnel that the United States is expected to send to West Africa to assist in medical training, distribution of aid and the building of health care facilities.
The estimated global resources needed for the next six months in the fight against Ebola, according to U.N. officials. This is a 10-fold increase from just a month ago, and is what the U.N. says is needed just to keep the outbreak contained to tens of thousands of people.
The number of home protective kits that the United States reportedly plans to distribute to the four West African nations most affected by the outbreak.
The number of days since the outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization by Guinea's health officials.
The approximate fatality rate of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Given access to proper medical treatment, especially adequate fluid replacement, the fatality rate of the Ebola outbreak can be significantly lowered.
The number of beds that the new U.S. aid effort will reportedly aim to set up in Liberia, one of the hardest hit nations.
The number of beds currently available to treat Ebola patients in Liberia, according to World Health Organization director general Margaret Chan.
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