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Doctor and nurse wearing protective gear take part in a drill with a dummy to demonstrate the procedures of transporting an Ebola patient,in Hong Kong Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014.Tyrone Siu/The Associated Press

The UN is warning that food prices are rising in countries hit by Ebola and that it will get worse because many farmers won't be able to access fields during the upcoming harvests of rice and corn.

An Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed more than 1,500 people, and authorities have cordoned off entire towns in an effort to prevent the virus' spread. Many airlines have suspended flights to and from the affected countries, and seaports are seeing less traffic.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said Tuesday that those measures drove up food prices as much as 150 per cent in one market.

The UN has said 1.3 million people in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone will need help feeding themselves in coming months.

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