Death toll passes 1,550 as Ebola outbreak accelerates,says WHO

 The deadly Ebola outbreak continues to accelerate in West Africa and has killed 1,552 people so far, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

The total number of cases stands at 3,069, with 40% occurring in the past three weeks.

"However, most cases are concentrated in only a few localities," the WHO said.

The outbreak, the deadliest ever, has been centered in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, with a handful of cases in Nigeria. The overall fatality rate is 52%, the WHO said, ranging from 42% in Sierra Leone to 66% in Guinea.

A separate Ebola outbreak, unrelated to the outbreak in West Africa, was reported on Sunday by the Democratic Republic of Congo