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Countries across the world are gearing up to stem a deadly Ebola outbreak that UN officials warn is getting worse. 

In a related development, New York's main JFK airport is preparing to screen travelers from epidemic-hit west Africa. 

According to the UN's World Health Organization, more than 4,000 people have died from Ebola in seven countries since the start of the year, and the disease appears to be outpacing efforts to fight it. 

"The virus is far ahead of us and every day the situation gets worse," the head of the United Nations' emergency Ebola mission Anthony Banbury, told UN leaders after a tour of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the nations worst affected by the epidemic.

At John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, passengers and crew arriving from the three countries at the centre of the outbreak will have their temperatures taken and be screened for signs of illness and answer questions about possible exposure, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

"Exit screening might not find every person with Ebola, however, it does not have to be perfect to help reduce the spread of Ebola," the CDC said in a statement. 

Soon, four other major US airports will start similar tests.