The epidemic, the ‌world's second-largest, has been described as the fastest-spreading on record. The total number of infections had reached 4053, including 1850 deaths, the Central ​African country's public health institute said in its latest report. Cases have been recorded in five provinces in ⁠the country: Ituri, North Kivu, ‌South ​Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo. A report published in the journal ​Science in July concluded that Congo's outbreak had started in January, or ​even earlier, in Ituri. So far only West Africa's 2014-16 outbreak has been bigger, with over ​28,000 cases recorded across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.