Freetown, August 5 (RHC)-- In West Africa, the death toll from a historic outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has risen to 887, with more than 1,600 people infected.

The disease is spreading in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, with four suspected cases, including one death. In Liberia, health centers have reportedly closed down amid fears they are not equipped to handle the highly infectious virus. A physician’s assistant there said many health workers are afraid of contracting the virus.

An American nurse who contracted Ebola in Liberia was due to arrive in Atlanta, Georgia, to join an American doctor already receiving treatment. In New York City, a patient who recently returned from West Africa is undergoing testing after falling ill, but officials said it was unlikely he had Ebola.