Highlights

• The WHO reports a total of 18,472 cases (suspected, probable, and confirmed) and 6,847 deaths in the four affected countries in West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Mali).

• The three most affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) are reporting new cases distributed very unevenly across districts. Nationally, transmission is most intense in Sierra Leone, the country with the highest number of cases since the start of the outbreak (N=8,069). In Liberia, the number of new cases is decreasing, with all cases reported in 5 of the country’s 15 districts. In Guinea, the number of new cases has been generally stable for several weeks, though this stability masks a highly varied situation across districts. In the three most affected countries, the WHO estimates the case fatality rate at 72% among Ebola cases for which the final clinical outcome is known.

• In the three most affected countries, the WHO estimates the case fatality rate at 72% among Ebola cases for which the final clinical outcome is known.

• In Mali, where local transmission has been reported for three weeks in the capital, Bamako, the toll stands at 8 cases and 6 deaths. No new cases have been reported since November 25. All contacts have completed their follow-up period.