The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has now gone "out of control" with more than 60 hotspots already affected, according to medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

In a statement, MSF said the Ebola virus epidemic is now "unprecedented" in terms of area of distribution, number of cases, and number of deaths.

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Health workers and agencies have been overwhelmed by the rapid spread of the deadly disease and local populations have been gripped with fear because of the situation, Yahoo! News detailed.

MSF director of operations Bart Janssens said new outbreak sites have appeared in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. He added that the disease, which kills 90% of all cases, could still spread to other places.

At the beginning of 2014, the first Ebola cases in Guinea were reported. Based on World Health Organization data released last week, 337 people have died from the virus in three countries this year.

The deadly disease can be spread via contact with body fluids including sweat. Merely touching an infected individual could spread the deadly virus.

To address the epidemic, MSF called on governments to implement "massive deployment" of medical resources in the affected region. Janssens said their group can no longer send aid teams to the new outbreak hotspots.

Ebola can cause an individual to experience severe fever, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle pain. Some cases involve organ shutdown and unstoppable bleeding, and the virus can kill a person within days.

Jannsens added that Ebola is no longer a local issue for Guinea as it has already spread to the whole West Africa for the first time. MSF said it had already identified over 60 outbreak hotspots with confirmed Ebola cases.

Amara Babawo, a resident in Sierra Leone, said their normal life has been affected by the Ebola outbreak as people now avoid making physical contact with everyone else.

An AFP report also cited school head teacher Momodu Momoh saying "all social gatherings" have been suspended and schools have been closed down as a precautionary move.

TagsEbola outbreak, West Africa, Medical Charity Doctors without Borders