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More than 6,000 people have died from Ebola, not 7,000 as was reported by the World Health Organisation, the Daily Mail reports.

'An error' in the number of deaths attributed to the disease in Liberia has been blamed for the error.

According to the revised data, published yesterday by the WHO, the worst Ebola epidemic since the virus was first discovered in 1976, has now claimed 5,987 lives.

All but around 15 of those deaths have hit the three countries at the heart of the crisis in West Africa - Guinea, where the outbreak began last December, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The UN health agency said in a statement: 'An error on reported total number of deaths in Liberia was published on November 28.

'This number has been corrected.'

'The cumulative total number of deaths in Liberia is 3,145,' it said, down from Friday's figure of 4,181.

No further explanation was given for the revision.

When the agency gave its previous toll of 6,928 deaths on Friday, up from 5,674 two days earlier, it put the steep hike in Liberia fatalities down to 'a reconciliation of historical numbers' and not to new deaths in recent days.

Following Monday's correction, the WHO said that as of November 28, Guinea had recorded 2,155 cases and 1,312 deaths, Liberia saw 7,635 cases and 3,145 deaths while Sierra Leone reported 7,109 cases and 1,530 deaths.

There have also been 15 fatalities in other countries, bringing the total to 6,002.

Also on Monday, the WHO said 'meaningful progress' had been made towards reducing the spread of Ebola by isolating patients and burying bodies safely.

But Assistant Director-General Bruce Aylward said that a target for 100 percent isolation of patients and 100 percent safe burials by January 1 will be 'challenging' to meet.

He warned that in Liberia there were signs of 'a sense of complacency setting in'.