Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency yesterday and called in troops to quarantine Ebola victims, joining neighbouring Liberia in imposing tough controls as the death toll from the worst ever outbreak of the virus hit 729 in West Africa.
The World Health Organisation said it was in urgent talks with donors and international agencies to deploy more medical staff and resources to one of the world's poorest regions.
The WHO reported 57 new deaths between July 24 and July 27 in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
Authorities in Nigeria, which recorded its first Ebola case last week when a US citizen died after arriving on a flight from Liberia, said all passengers travelling from areas at risk would be temperature-screened for the virus.
In a measure of rising international concern, Britain on Wednesday held a government meeting on Ebola and called it a threat requiring a response. The White House said US President Barack Obama was being briefed on the situation.
Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma said he would meet the leaders of Liberia and Guinea in Conakry today to discuss ways to combat the epidemic.
"Sierra Leone is in a great fight. Failure is not an option," Koroma said.
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