Health experts predict that Ebola is likely to arrive in Australia in coming months, but chances of an outbreak or fatalities remain low.
It comes as the World Health Organisation says a serum to treat those infected with the deadly virus could be available within weeks.
Medical and scientific experts have been meeting in Melbourne to discuss the global response to health crises, like the Ebola outbreak - and particularly the role Australia can play.
Barbara McPake from the Nossal Institute Global Health says it's likely Ebola will reach Australia's shores.
"Quite probably yes. The epidemic gets larger and larger in west Africa. It's likely. You'd likely have the odd case emerging is quite high."
But Barbara McPake stresses that there's no reason for public concern.
And she says the likelihood of transmission of the virus in Australia is low.
"Australia has a very strong health system and it's not actually a very difficult disease to control. The symptoms of the disease and infectivity emerge at the same time. So unlike HIV/AIDS where somebody can be infectious but not know it and can infect a lot of people. With Ebola that's not the case. As soon as you have symptoms, you can be identified, you can isolated. The health workers here know very well how to build up protective systems and its extremely unlikely of much transmission in Australia."
Aid groups in Australia have been calling on the federal government to step up its response to the crisis in west Africa.
Australia has so far contributed $18 million to various agencies to help tackle Ebola, but so far ruled out sending personnel.
Julia Newton-Howes is the chief executive of Care Australia - one of the groups calling for further action.
She says the contribution from Australia doesn't go far enough.
"The international community collectively has failed to stem the spread of this deadly disease and it's time to do more. We need a lot more. And there's need for further funding and there's a need for more equipment and there's a need for trained personnel - so that's whether we're involved in training or supporting procedures within our region or sending people, which has been somewhat controversial, but these things that can play a really important role."
The Ebola virus has killed more than 4,500 people in west Africa this year, with Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone the hardest hit.
David Evans from the World Health Organisation says the outbreak isn't under control yet.
"In those three countries it's expected to get worse in the next three or four months and hopefully after that it'll get controlled."
Julia Newton-Howes from Care Australia, agrees.
"It's still increasing rapidly in Sierra Leone and Liberia and it's critical that we contain the numbers and bring the numbers back down, but yes, unless a lot more is done right now, this will get much worse."
In what might be the most hopeful sign of a cure so far, the WHO has announced that a serum, derived from the blood of survivors of Ebola, could be available soon.
The WHO's Doctor Marie Paule Kieny says measures are already in place in the worst-affected countries to ensure the collection of blood is safe.
"In terms of the serum, and the collection of serum, there are partnerships which are starting to be put in place to have capacity in the three countries to safely extract plasma and make preparations that can be used in the treatment of infected patients."
Doctor Kieny says development of the serum will begin in Liberia.
"The partnership which is moving the quickest will be in Liberia where we hope that in the coming weeks there will be facilities set up to collect the blood, treat the blood and be able to process it for use."
The WHO says arrangements are also being made to develop the serum in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
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