News outlets examine the challenges of collecting accurate data on how many people have become infected with or died from Ebola in West Africa.

The Guardian: Ebola: Liberia deaths ‘far higher than reported’ as officials downplay epidemic
“The true death toll from the Ebola epidemic is being masked by chaotic data collection and people’s reluctance to admit that their loved ones had the virus, according to one of West Africa’s most celebrated filmmakers. Sorious Samura, who has just returned from making a documentary on the crisis in Liberia, said it is very clear on the ground that the true number of dead is far higher than the official figures being reported by the World Health Organization…” (Townsend, 10/18).

ScienceInsider: How many Ebola cases are there really?
“…[I]t’s widely known that the real situation is much worse than the numbers show because many cases don’t make it into the official statistics. Underreporting occurs in every disease outbreak anywhere, but keeping track of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone has been particularly difficult. And the epidemic unfolds, underreporting appears to be getting worse…” (Enserink, 10/20).