bola Death Toll Tops 6,000, WHO Says

ZURICH—More than 6,000 people have died from Ebola in the three West African countries most affected by the current outbreak, according to new data from the World Health Organization, a day after it declared Spain free of the disease.

In an update Wednesday, the United Nations health agency said 17,111 confirmed, suspected or probable cases of Ebola had been reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The three countries are at the epicenter of the current outbreak.

A total of 6,055 people have died of Ebola in the three countries since the outbreak began, the WHO said.

The new numbers are lower than those the WHO released over the weekend because the agency revised the death toll lower by about 1,000. The WHO said the revision was needed after some counties in Liberia inadvertently included non-Ebola deaths in their totals.

The new data come a day after the agency said Spain was free of the disease after the country went 42 days—twice the incubation period for Ebola—without reporting a new case.

Earlier in the week, the WHO said Guinea and Liberia had were isolating 70% of their Ebola patients, as well as safely burying 70% of the bodies of the disease’s victims. Both practices reduce the risk of Ebola spreading.

Sierra Leone hasn’t reached the 70% isolation mark, though it is safely burying 70% of the bodies of victims.

Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, and corpses can be extremely contagious. The disease causes high fever and internal bleeding.