A girl walks past a slogan painted on a wall reading "Stop Ebola" in Monrovia, Liberia, on Aug. 31, 2014.
Photo: Dominique Faget—AFP/Getty Images

(VOVworld) – The world has recorded 14,098 cases of Ebola virus infections with deaths surpassing 5000 by Sunday, the World Health Organization reported on Wednesday. WHO statistics indicate that among 7 West African countries infected with the virus, the 3 hardest hit countries are Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Nigeria and Senegal are confirmed free of the virus and have recorded no new cases so far.

In another development, the US military has scaled back plans for its mission in Liberia to fight the Ebola outbreak, and will deploy a maximum of 3,000 troops instead of 4,000, a commander said Wednesday. The decision came after US officers found local contractors could perform some of the required construction work for the mission and private aid organizations were sending in workers to help, eliminating the need for another thousand soldiers, General Gary Valesky, head of the American military contingent in Liberia, told reporters in a telephone conference.

There are nearly 2,200 US troops in Liberia today, mainly taking part in the construction of mobile labs for local healthcare staff and 17 facilities to provide Ebola treatment. These troops do not directly have contact with patients.