The World Health Organization (WHO) says there has been a decline in the spread of Ebola in Liberia, the country hardest hit in the outbreak.
The WHO’s Bruce Aylward said it was confident the response to the virus was now gaining the upper hand.
But he warned against any suggestion that the crisis was over.
He said the new number of cases globally was 13,703 and that the death toll, to be published later on Wednesday, would probably pass 5,000.
‘Pet tiger’
The figure of 13,703 is a significant leap on the previous WHO situation report on Saturday, which showed cases rising above 10,000 for the first time – to 10,141.
But Dr Aylward, the WHO’s assistant director general, said that this increase was due to data being updated with old cases, rather than new cases being reported.
Saturday’s situation report put the death toll at 4,922.
Liberia’s Red Cross said its teams collected 117 bodies last week, down from a high of 315 in September.
Treatment centres also have empty beds available for patients.
Dr Aylward said : “It appears that the trend is real in Liberia and there may indeed be a slowing.”
“Do we feel confident that the response is now getting an upper hand on the virus? Yes, we are seeing a slowing rate of new cases, very definitely.”
Dr Aylward said there had been “a huge effort to inform the population about the disease, to change the behaviours that put them at risk”.
And he said there had been “a real step up in the work to put in place safe burials”.
But Dr Aylward said the data was still being examined and cautioned against thinking the crisis was over.
Bruce Aylward warned that the crisis was far from over
SHe said: “A slight decline in cases in a few days versus getting this thing closed out is a completely different ball game.
“It’s like saying your pet tiger is under control.”
In other developments:
- Nine Kenyans who were stranded in Liberia when Kenyan Airways suspended flights to the region have been repatriated
- US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel says US troops returning from Ebola missions will be kept in isolation for 21 days
- In UK, an umbrella of charities – Disasters Emergency Committee – is to launch an Ebola appeal
Power visit
The vast majority of cases and deaths from the disease have been in three countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
On Wednesday, South Africa’s first black billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, donated $1m (£620,000) to Guinea to help the country fight Ebola.
The mining magnate said he hoped it would assist with clinical management, social mobilisation and other key steps in controlling the deadly virus.
His donation was announced as the US welcomed the international aid effort.
America’s UN envoy Samantha Power, who has been concluding her visit to the region, praised the efforts of Ebola-hit nations and foreign donors and urged them to continue to help.
Her final stop was the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Accra, Ghana. She will now fly on to Brussels.
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Credit: BBC