GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday it hopes to reverse the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo within three months, but warned the deadly outbreak would not be over by then.

The epidemic, which began in the conflict-scarred northeastern province of Ituri, is spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak, with 4,499 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths, according to the WHO.

If all aspects of the response are implemented “at the same time across the five transmission zones, we are expecting a turnaround in three months,” said Abdirahman Mahamud, head of the WHO’s emergency response division.