GENEVA (AFP) - The World Health Organisation said Friday that 5,459 people had so far died of Ebola out of a total 15,351 cases of infection in eight countries since late December 2013.

The earlier WHO toll on Wednesday gave a death toll of 5,420 and spoke of 15,145 cases.

The WHO believes that the number of deaths is likely far higher, given that the fatality rate in the current outbreak is known to be around 70 percent.

The deadliest Ebola outbreak ever continues to affect Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone the most.

But it appears to be slowing in Liberia, allowing the hardest-hit country to lift its state of emergency.

In its latest toll, WHO said that through to Nov 18, a total 2,963 people had died in Liberia, out of 7,082 cases.

In Sierra Leone, 1,267 people had died out of 6,190 cases, WHO said.

Guinea, where the outbreak began late last year, counted 1,214 deaths and 2,047 cases.

Data from Mali, the latest country to be hit by Ebola, showed six cases of the deadly virus which have all proved fatal.

Data from Nigeria and Senegal remained unchanged, and both countries have been declared Ebola free.

Nigeria had eight deaths and 20 cases, while Senegal had one case and no deaths.

There has been one case of infection in Spain, where an infected nurse has recovered.

In the United States, four Ebola cases have been recorded and one person - a Liberian - had died from the virus.

Ebola, one of the deadliest viruses known to man, is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person showing symptoms such as fever or vomiting.

People caring for the sick or handling the bodies of people infected Ebola are especially exposed.

WHO said a total of 588 health-care workers were known to have contracted the virus, and 337 of them had died.