Aid group says Ebola body count down

The Red Cross says its workers in the Liberian capital Monrovia are picking up far fewer bodies, a sign that the Ebola outbreak is retreating.

The Red Cross has offered hope of a turning point in the battle against the deadly west African Ebola outbreak, saying it has seen a dramatic drop in bodies collected in Liberia's capital.

The charity announced on Tuesday its workers were now picking up a little over a third of the late September peak of more than 300 bodies a week in and around Monrovia -- an indication, it said, that the outbreak was retreating.

The announcement appears at odds with the assessment of UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who warned on Tuesday at a crisis meeting in Ethiopia that the spread of the virus continued to outpace the response, while the head of the World Bank appealed for thousands more medics.

Fayah Tamba, head of the Liberian Red Cross, said his workers collected 117 bodies last week from Montserrado county, which includes Monrovia, noting a steady decline from the high of 315 from September 15 to 21.

"I am sure you don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that the cases are dropping," he told private radio station Sky FM.

The Ebola outbreak has left almost 5000 dead, nearly all in west Africa, leading to cancelled flights, border closures and a firestorm of criticism in the United States over its treatment of returning health workers.

Liberia has been hit worst, with 4665 recorded cases and 2705 deaths, according to the WHO.