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KINSHASA, Congo — <\/span>The fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record<\/a> in eastern Congo<\/a> is rapidly spreading beyond its epicenter, Africa\u2019s top health body said Thursday.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak\u2019s epicenter, but risen sharply in neighboring North Kivu and Haut-Uele, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said at a weekly briefing.<\/p>\n According to the latest government figures released on Thursday, 6,843 cases have been reported, including 3,310 deaths. Ituri province remains the hardest-hit province, with more than 5,400 cases while North Kivu has reported over 1,000 cases since the outbreak was declared in May.<\/p>\n The outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers\u2019 strike<\/a> and intense population movements<\/a>. The situation is particularly concerning at displacement sites, where residents already live in extremely precarious conditions.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization has said the outbreak remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak<\/a>, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n In North Kivu, new cases more than doubled to 381 in the latest three-week period, from 165 in the earlier period, Yap Boum, Africa CDC\u2019s head of emergency preparedness and response, said Thursday.<\/p>\n The virus recently reached two more health zones in North Kivu, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels<\/a>, who control the provincial capital Goma, has complicated the response.<\/p>\n Last month, Congo began vaccinating health and other front-line workers<\/a> with the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type called Zaire.<\/p>\n Clinical trials are underway to find a licensed vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus<\/a>.<\/p>\n The vaccination trials started in the eastern Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces, Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC\u2019s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said Thursday.<\/p>\n Kingebeni said the vaccination campaign initially targeted newly affected provinces to help prevent further spread. Vaccinations in Ituri are set to start next week, he added.<\/p>\n A key challenge is the limited supply of doses, said Kingebeni. Congo has received 70,000 doses so far<\/a>.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n