Freetown, August 12 (RHC)-- The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the Ebola outbreak death toll to 1,013 as the virus spreads through the West African countries. The WHO made the announcement on Monday via its website following the death of another 52 people between August 7th and 9th.

Liberia has the highest reported number of casualties, with 29 deaths, followed by Sierra Leone with 17 and Guinea with six. The total number of documented cases has reached 1,848.

The World Health Organization says that clinical trials of vaccines for the Ebola virus will begin soon and the medical protections will become available by early 2015.

There is currently no known cure for Ebola, which is a form of hemorrhagic fever with diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding as its symptoms. The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can also be spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.

Ebola remains one of the world’s most virulent diseases, which kills up to 90 percent of those who are infected by it.