2,240 Ebola cases in West Africa: UN

, Aug 20: The number of

cases in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, has reached 2,240 and a total of 1,229 deaths were also registered, UN spokesman Steaphane Dujarric said here on Tuesday.

"WHO is working with the World Food Programme (WFP) to ensure that people in the quarantine zone receive regular food aid and other non-medical supplies," Xinhua uoted Dujarric as saying at a daily news briefing here.

He gave the latest statistics quoting information from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"Food has been delivered to hospitalized patients and people under quarantine who are not able to leave their homes to purchase food," he added.

"Governments have set up quarantine zones in areas of high transmission including severely-affected cities such as Gueckedou in Guinea, Kenema and Kailahun in Sierra Leone and Foya in Liberia," he added.

Between Aug 14-16, a total of 113 new cases of Ebola virus disease as well as 84 deaths were reported from Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, WHO said.

An outbreak of Ebola virus disease began in Guinea in December 2013, leading to an epidemic in West Africa after it spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

IANS