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Dr. Frieden: Ebola is not a quick fight

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Ebola cases have now reached the most since it was first detected back in 1976.

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is now 1,350, according to the World Health Organization.

Head of the CDC Dr. Tom Frieden calls these very challenging times.

"We are deeply concerned about what's happening today particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone and Guinea to some extent, these are countries that are really struggling to deal with an unprecedented outbreak," says Frieden.

WSB Health Reporter Sabrina Gibbons talked to Dr. Frieden one on one today in the Emergency Operations Center at CDC headquarter in Atlanta, and he tells her they are now seeing the most cases ever.  He says this is not a quick fight against Ebola.

"Even in the best of circumstance it would be up to 6 months for control and we are certainly not in the best circumstance."

Dr. Frieden also says it is likely to get worse before it gets better.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms they have tested about six samples from hospitals around the country, from people who have fallen ill since returning from West Africa, for Ebola. So far, though, none has tested positive.

Frieden says it is really too early to say if the experimental drugs that have been used are working, and if they are he says we simply have a limited supply.

"We are not at this time going to treat our way out of this," says Frieden.

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