Doha: The fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak in history has now extended to two new health zones in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, increasing the total number of affected zones to 60.

According to Qatar News Agency, data released by the Congolese Ministry of Health indicated that the new areas affected are Biena and Manguredjipa in North Kivu province. These zones are experiencing a fatality rate higher than the overall rate of 48 percent, largely due to delays in response efforts.

The ministry reported a total of 5,794 confirmed cases so far, with 2,786 deaths attributed to the virus. The rapid pace of the virus spread is outpacing efforts to monitor and control its transmission.

The outbreak is occurring under challenging conditions, including insecurity, displacement, healthcare worker strikes, and significant population movements. The Democratic Republic of the Congo recently began vaccinating healthcare workers and frontline personnel with the Ervebo vaccine, known for its effectiveness in previous Ebola outbreaks caused by a different strain of the virus. Clinical trials are ongoing to develop a licensed vaccine for the current outbreak strain.

The World Health Organization stated two days ago that the outbreak remains uncontrolled and is on a path that could potentially exceed the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which resulted in more than 11,000 deaths, primarily in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.