More than 3,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the current outbreak was declared in mid-May, health authorities said on Wednesday.
A total of 6,186 cases have been confirmed, including 3,007 deaths, while 830 people are currently being treated or isolated and 1,409 have recovered.
The fatality rate stands at 48.6 per cent, with young children recording particularly high mortality.
Newsmen report that Ebola spreads through physical contact and exposure to bodily fluids, causing severe fever, diarrhoea and bleeding.
The outbreak has been difficult to contain because it involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no specific vaccine or treatment.
Clinical trials of two antiviral treatments have been ongoing since early July.
Health authorities are also assessing whether the Ervebo vaccine, approved against the Zaire strain, could protect against Bundibugyo.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said 70,000 doses of Ervebo are being made available, with more than 16,000 already delivered.
Of the doses, 20,000 are earmarked for a Phase III trial to assess effectiveness against Bundibugyo, while 50,000 are intended for healthcare workers and other frontline personnel.
The first vaccinations under the trial have already been administered, although it remains unclear whether Ervebo protects against Bundibugyo.
Initial laboratory and animal studies, however, suggest the vaccine could provide some protection.
Africa CDC said there was no evidence to support suspicions that the Bundibugyo strain had mutated.
The outbreak, the 17th recorded in the DRC, began in north-eastern Ituri province before spreading to six provinces.
Cases originating in Ituri were also detected in neighbouring Uganda, where no new infections have been reported for several weeks and the outbreak has been declared over.