(CNN) As the Ebola outbreak continues to devastate the Democratic Republic of Congo, the minister of health visited affected areas to prepare for a third strategic response plan, which will cover the period from February to April, the ministry reported Thursday.

"This constant adaptation of the national strategy demonstrates the dynamic nature of this response to the most complex Ebola outbreak in the country's history," the ministry said in a statement. This is the 10th outbreak since 1976 in Congo, where the virus is endemic, and the second this year.

Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga visited the cities of Beni, Goma and Butembo in North Kivu province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.

Cases have also been reported in neighboring Ituri province, which along with North Kivu is among the most populous in the nation. The two provinces border Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.

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