The recent Ebola outbreak killed a top doctor fighting the virus in Sierra Leone after dozens of other health workers also died of the infection.

Sheik Umar Khan, 39, treated over 100 Ebola patients before his body succumbed to the contagious disease on Tuesday. His death highlighted the dangers that medical workers are facing in their efforts to help curb the spread of the deadly virus across West Africa, Reuters explained.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) believes the most recent and worst Ebola outbreak took the lives of 672 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since it started in February.

As of now, the disease has no cure and its symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. Currently, its fatality rate is pegged at 60 percent but it can kill 90 percent of infected victims.

Khan was placed in a treatment ward operated by charity group Medecins Sans Frontieres in northern Sierra Leone. The doctor died less than one week after he was diagnosed with Ebola.

Brima Kargbo, chief medical officer in Sierra Leone, said Khan's death was a very big loss because he was the only viral hemorrhagic fever specialist in the country.

In spite of international assistance in the supply of doctors and safety equipment, the disease still continues to spread because of poor health systems.

Guinea, the origin of the outbreak, two new cases were identified in Conakry and Siguiri. Both patients contracted the infection from visitors who came from Sierra Leone, health leader Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite said.

The WHO did not impose travel restrictions but Togolese airline Asky and Nigerian carrier Arik Air took the initiative to suspend its Sierra Leone and Liberia flights after the first death in Lagos was reported last week.

Meanwhile, a U.S. official on Monday said President Barack Obama received updates on the outbreak and noted that American agencies beefed up their efforts to help contain the spread of the virus.

TagsSierra Leone, Sheik Umar Khan, West Africa, Reuters, Guinea, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Brima Kargbo, Siguiri, Aboubacar Sidiki Diakit, Asky, Arik Air, Barack Obama, U.S.