"The large number of people affected by the 2014 west Africa outbreak, and the high case-fatality rate, have prompted calls to use investigational medical interventions to try to save the lives of patients and to curb the epidemic," the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
WHO said it believes the virus has infected 1,848 people and killed 1,013 -- making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
The desperation has pushed Liberia's government to ask for scarce quantities of an untested drug from a U.S.-based company.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Liberia's request for access to ZMapp, and sample doses of the medicine will be sent to Liberia this week to treat doctors who have contracted the virus, the Liberian government said.
The drug's manufacturer, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, said its supply was exhausted after fulfilling the request of a West African country.
ZMapp made international headlines after two American aid workers infected with Ebola in Liberia took the serum -- and their conditions apparently improved.
But a Spanish priest who was infected with Ebola in Liberia and started taking the same drug died Tuesday morning.
Spain's Ministry of Heath said Saturday that Miguel Pajares was being treated with ZMapp at a Madrid hospital. The hospital confirmed Pajares' death Tuesday.
A vicious killer
Ebola can torment its victims with high fevers, internal and external bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea. It often afflicts multiple organ systems and can kill up to 90% of those infected.
Since an Ebola epidemic was declared in Guinea in March, the disease has spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.
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