Your trusted source

African ministers and health experts are meeting in Ghana with one thing on their minds: how to stop the biggest ever outbreak of the Ebola virus from extending its deadly reach still further, CNN reported.

The World Health Organization has warned that "drastic action" is needed to halt the killer in its tracks.

It reports there have been 759 cases, including 467 deaths, in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia as of June 30. The outbreak began in March.

This makes it the "largest in terms of the number of cases and deaths as well as geographical spread," said WHO.

Not only is it uncontained, but this strain of the Ebola virus can kill up to 90% of those infected.

The scientist who first discovered the Ebola virus in the 1970s, Dr. Peter Piot, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the situation is "unprecedented."

"One, [this is] the first time in West Africa that we have such an outbreak," he said. "Secondly, it is the first time that three countries are involved. And thirdly it's the first time that we have outbreaks in capitals, in capital cities."

The looming threat has brought together the health ministers of 11 African nations -- the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda -- as well as health experts, Ebola survivors, and WHO representatives.

Also present at the two-day summit in Accra, Ghana, are the representatives of airlines and mining companies, as well as donor nations helping to fund efforts to combat the virus.

New cases of the virus continue to be reported.

Between June 25 and 30, 22 new cases of the virus were reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, WHO said. Of those, 14 died.