May 22 (UPI) — World Health Organization Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday that the suspected number of deaths from an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is 177, far surpassing the seven confirmed deaths.

During an update on Friday, the WHO raised the risk of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC to “very high.”

The organization deemed the spread of the virus an emergency of international concern on Sunday. The international health organization, which is an arm of the United Nations, said the outbreak doesn’t meet the criteria of a pandemic, but the spread of the virus could be bigger than currently known.

There have been 82 confirmed non-fatal cases, which experts think could be as high as 750. In Uganda, there are two confirmed cases and one death.

“These numbers are changing as surveillance efforts and laboratory testing is improving, but violence and insecurity are impeding the response,” Tedros said Friday in an update on the outbreak.

He said the WHO has deployed personnel to Ituri province, DRC, considered the epicenter of the outbreak.

“I am in regular contact with government officials to coordinate response actions,” Tedros said.

This Ebola outbreak has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus, making it particularly challenging to treat. Unlike the Ebola-zaire strains of the virus, there are no approved approved therapeutics or vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain, the WHO said.