Guinea's Ebola death toll rises to 182

Conakry, June 30: The number of confirmed

cases in

has reached 286, of which 182 people have died, a media report said on Monday.

The number of Ebola cases have been increasing despite efforts by the government and agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Xinhua reported.

So far MSF has spent $3 million to help in the fight against Ebola in Guinea and in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

According to Guinea's health ministry, 27 health workers were affected by Ebola and 20 of them have died from the disease.

Transportation and handling of bodies of Ebola victims is now exclusively being done by special Red Cross teams that have been well trained.

To sensitise the population about the disease, the government has funded about 15 non-governmental organisations (NGO) to develop communication strategies and move from door-to-door advising people on how to prevent themselves against the disease.

Ebola, or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), starts with fever, throat and muscle pains and headaches, followed by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, along with decreased functioning of the liver and the kidneys.

IANS