Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached 7,022, while the death toll has risen to 3,398, according to government figures reported Friday.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, has now spread across seven provinces. A newly detected case in South Ubangi province in northwestern Congo has raised concerns about the virus reaching areas far from the outbreak’s epicenter. Authorities are conducting contact tracing following the case.

The outbreak has surpassed Congo’s previous deadliest Ebola epidemic, which occurred from 2018 to 2020. It is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, behind the 2014-2016 West African epidemic that infected more than 28,000 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The World Health Organization has warned that the response is being hindered by shortages of trained health workers, operational partners and funding. WHO previously reported that the outbreak had expanded rapidly across multiple provinces, with insecurity and limited access to health care further complicating efforts to identify cases, trace contacts and provide treatment.

WHO has classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, citing the rapid growth and geographic expansion of the epidemic. The organization has called for an intensified response as health officials work to slow transmission and prevent further spread.