DAVID Cameron has urged other members of the international community to step up their efforts to tackle the Ebola epidemic as it was announced screening will be extended for travellers to the UK from West Africa.

The Prime Minister insisted yesterday Britain was "leading the way" in providing assistance to the region as he backed a call by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for other countries to deliver more in the way of funding and resources.

Screening for travellers flying into the UK from West Africa is to be introduced at Birmingham and Manchester airports.

The move follows the start of scans of people for high body temperatures at Heathrow's Terminal One. The procedure will be widened to the two airports after it is introduced at Gatwick and the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras in London next week.

The Scottish Government said there are no similar plans for north of the Border. Border controls and decisions on airport screening are reserved to Westminster.

This came as the death toll from Ebola rose to 4,546, including 239 health workers, out of 9,191 known cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. There are another 20 cases including eight deaths in Nigeria, and one case in Senegal. But The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the country's outbreak is officially over after twice the maximum incubation period of 21 days had passed.

But the WHO admitted it had blundered in its efforts to halt the outbreak of the virus in Africa, blaming a lack of information. It said in an internal document: "Nearly everyone involved in the outbreak response failed to see some plain writing on the wall."

The Prime Minister urged other countries to "step forward with resources and action" to combat the spread of the virus,.

Speaking in Milan, Mr Cameron said: "This is the biggest health problem facing our world in a generation. It is very likely to affect a number of the countries here today. Britain, in my view, has been leading the way - the action we are taking in Sierra Leone where we are committing well over £100 million, 750 troops, training 800 health staff, providing 700 beds.

"It is time for other countries to look at their responsibilities and their resources and act in a similar way to what Britain is doing in Sierra Leone, America is doing in Liberia, France is doing in Guinea.

"Other countries need to step forward with resources and action because taking action at source in West Africa is the best way to protect all of us here in Europe."

At Westminster, confusion arose over whether travellers to Britain from West Africa were compelled to undergo screening. Asked if screening was mandatory, No 10 said it was a "requirement" and there was not a problem as screening was taking place.

Mr Ban has called for a "huge and urgent global response" and said countries which have "the capacity" should provide funding now. While some $20m (£12.4m) has been pledged to a trust fund set up by him, only $100,000 (£62,000) has so far been received.

A wider UN appeal has received $376m (£234m) in pledges - about 38 per cent of the amount sought.

The British medical ship RFA Argus set sail from Cornwall for West Africa loaded with three Merlin helicopters and a crew of around 350, including 80 medics and 80 Royal Marines. It has a fully-equipped 100-bed hospital on board, which will be used to treat any infected or injured UK military and civilian personnel.

But it emerged an Ebola vaccine may not be available until 2015. Dr Ripley Ballou, head of Ebola vaccine research at GlaxoSmithKline, said: "The vaccine is going to come too late for this epidemic."