Senegal has recorded its first case of Ebola in an outbreak that is ravaging its West African neighbours, the Ministry of Health said on Friday.
The infected person is a young man from Guinea, Health Minister Awa Marie Coll Seck told reporters.
The outbreak that has killed more than 1,500 people began in 2013 in Guinea, which shares a border with Senegal. Since then, the disease has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. At least 3,000 people have contracted the virus.
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The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak is worsening and offered new evidence of its acceleration on Friday, saying the past week has seen the highest increase of cases since the outbreak began.
The U.N. health agency has warned that the disease could eventually infect 20,000 people, and unveiled a plan on Thursday to stop transmission in the next six to nine months.