Ebola Outbreak: Life Inside the Hot Zone

— -- The worst-ever Ebola outbreak continues to spread in West Africa, where more than 3,000 people have contracted the virus –- a number projected to swell to 20,000 in the coming months.

Full Coverage of the Ebola Outbreak

The numbers are staggering: 1,552 people are dead, and more than 1 million quarantined with limited access to food and medical supplies. But even more shocking are the scenes from inside the hot zone, where hopes are low and fears are high.

Looking for Hope in a Hot Zone

ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser traveled to Monrovia, Liberia, a city at the centers of the outbreak. He visited a slum cut off by the quarantine barrier, where terrified residents are desperate to share their stories.

A Look Inside a Slum Cut Off by the Ebola Outbreak

He met a survivor, who is determined to return to his job as an emergency medicine doctor despite the infection risk.

Ebola Survivor 'Walked Through the Valley of Death'

And he toured an Ebola ward, where patients wait on dirt floors to survive or die.

Behind the Gates of an Ebola Ward With a Burial Team

Before leaving Liberia, Dr. Besser had to go through special airport screening procedures aimed at limiting the virus's spread.

Click here for more updates on the outbreak and follow Dr. Besser on Twitter.