Freetown, September 23 (RHC)-- The World Health Organization has said West Africa's deadly Ebola epidemic has killed over 2,800 people so far. According to the UN health agency, more than 5,700 people have been infected with the deadly virus in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo and 2,811 people have died from the disease.

The WHO also said the outbreak has more or less been contained in Senegal and Nigeria, and that it will take at least six months to be brought under control. The agency further added that the number of Ebola cases will rise to 21,000 by November if nothing is done to curb the outbreak.

According the health officials on Monday, dozens of dead bodies and about 150 new cases of the Ebola infection were found after a three-day shutdown in Sierra Leone. This comes after the West African country confined its citizens for 72-hours to stem the deadly outbreak.

Emergency services say three days of nationwide shutdown in Sierra Leone to contain the spread of the Ebola virus has come to an end.

Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can be also spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.