Ebola toys sells out despite virus killing more than 4,500 people worldwide

An Ebola cuddly toy has sold out at an online store despite the World Health Organisation declaring the killer outbreak a public health emergency.

US toy company Giant Microbes specialises in cute versions of killer bugs - and retails the Ebola toy at £7.95 which translates to Ksh.1, 142 for a small toy and $29.95 in the US (£18.52) which translates to Kshs. 2,669 for a giant-size microbe.

It has now shipped its entire stockpile of the toy it describes as the “T.Rex of microbes”, capable of causing a “fearsome front-page disease".

The UK branch of the company, based in Devon, told the BBC they no longer have a "single one" of the toys left - adding they believe students are snapping up most of them.

Account manager Carol Allam said: "We've been running the Ebola toy for years but now everyone's after one

"We've sold thousands over the last couple of months. They are all gone. It's because it's so lifelike.

"If you look under a microscope you'll see the shape [of the Ebola virus] is just like the toy."

Spokeswoman Laura Sullivan told the Toronto Star: “Microbes have a huge impact on our lives. People want to learn about them and understand them.

“With Ebola and everything that is going on, people are interested about learning more and this product provides a way for people to learn about it.

“Sales are exceptionally high now because so many more people want to learn about it.

“People are buying it to talk about it and if we ever felt it was being used inappropriately, we would reconsider it.”

The World Health Organisation has branded the outbreak the “most severe acute health emergency in modern times”.

West Africa is the worst affected area. In Liberia, over 2,300 people have died, while in Sierra Leone and Guinea the death toll stands at nearly 1,000 each.

The deadly virus has also reached Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and the US but outbreaks have been contained so far