Ebola outbreak: US doctor Kent Brantly released from hospital

An American doctor who contracted Ebola treating victims of the deadly virus in Liberia has been released from a U.S. hospital after receiving treatment with an experimental drug, his charity said on Thursday.

Kent Brantly was given ZMapp, a trial drug used on a handful of patients in the West African outbreak, and flown to the United States this month. He was released from Atlanta's Emory University Hospital, according to a statement from Samaritan's Purse.

Since it was discovered in remote southeastern Guinea in March, the overall death toll from the outbreak has reached 1,350 from a total of 2,473 cases.

The Ebola outbreak is putting off thousands of tourists who had planned trips to Africa this year, especially Asians, including to destinations thousands of miles from the nearest infected community such as Kenya and South Africa.

Containing the outbreak requires large numbers of specialist staff to map the epidemic, track people who have had contact with sufferers, and to work in isolation and treatment centres.

Reuters