29 Nov 2019 12:39 AM EST

The measles epidemic is ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo. The contagious virus has killed more than twice as many people since the beginning of the year as the Ebola outbreak. Measles, which is a preventable disease, has killed over 5,000 people in the central African nation since the beginning of 2019. According to CNN, over 90% of the total measles deaths, or nearly 4,500 people, were children under the age of 5. Unicef called it "the world's largest and fastest-moving epidemic", noting that it has spread to all of the country's provinces. "Thousands of children have missed out on vaccinations, with potentially deadly consequences". Edouard Beigbeder UNICEF Representative in the DRC The highly contagious virus is passed through direct contact or through the air and starts with a high fever.