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New Ebola cases show first 'rise in 2015' New Ebola cases show first rise in 2015
(about 2 hours later)
The number of new Ebola cases has increased for the first time in 2015 in all three affected countries, the WHO's latest weekly figures show, The number of new cases of Ebola has gone up in all three of West Africa's worst-hit countries in the last week of January, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
There were 124 new confirmed cases in the week to 1 February - 39 in Guinea, five in Liberia and 80 in Sierra Leone. It is the first weekly increase in 2015, ending a series of encouraging declines.
The increase will raise questions over whether efforts to contain Ebola have been successful, correspondents say. The WHO says Sierra Leone registered 80 of the 124 new cases, Guinea 39 and Liberia the remaining five.
More than 8,500 people have died in the outbreak, but recently numbers of cases have been decreasing. Almost 9,000 people have died from Ebola since December 2013.
Only a week ago the WHO announced its lowest weekly tally of new cases since June 2014, raising hopes that a turning point in the battle against the disease might have been reached.
But suspicion of aid workers, especially in Guinea, and unsafe local practices were continuing to hamper efforts to contain the virus, the United Nations agency said.
Eleven new cases were blamed on one unsafe burial that took place in eastern Guinea on the border with Cote d'Ivoire, where a rapid response team has now been deployed, the WHO adds.
Mourners have caught the disease in the past by touching the highly-contagious bodies of dead loved ones.
Nearly one-third of Guinea's 34 prefectures had reported at least one security incident or other form of refusal to cooperate with health workers in the previous week.
The WHO emphasised the need to step up efforts before the start of the April-May rainy season, when downpours can block roads and make it difficult for health teams to travel.