For the second time this week, a treatment tent for Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been set ablaze, resulting in the escape of 18 individuals suspected of being infected with the virus.
The incident occurred on Friday night in Mongbwalu, a town at the epicentre of the Bundibugyo virus outbreak. Unidentified assailants targeted a tent established by Doctors Without Borders for suspected and confirmed Ebola cases, according to Dr. Richard Lokudi, director of Mongbwalu General Reference Hospital. "We strongly condemn this act, as it caused panic among the staff of the Mongbwalu Referral Hospital and also resulted in the escape of 18 suspected cases into the community," he stated.
This follows a similar attack on Thursday in Rwampara, where another treatment centre was burned after family members were prevented from retrieving a local man's body. Ebola victims' bodies are highly contagious, and the preparation for burial and subsequent funeral gatherings can significantly spread the virus, often prompting protests from families when authorities intervene.
Tensions Between Health Workers and Communities
Relations between health workers and local communities remain strained. A high-security burial for Ebola patients took place on Saturday in Bunia, another outbreak town. In response, authorities in northeastern Congo banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people on Friday to curb transmission.
WHO Elevates Risk Level
The World Health Organisation has raised the risk level for Congo from "high" to "very high", although the global risk remains low. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed 82 cases and seven deaths in Congo on Friday, cautioning that the outbreak is believed to be "much larger" than currently reported.
The Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola strain with no available vaccine, spread undetected for weeks in Congo's Ituri province. This followed the first known death, as authorities initially tested for a more common Ebola virus, which came up negative. There are now 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, though more are expected as surveillance expands.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stressed the critical need to build trust with affected communities to improve outbreak response.
Red Cross Volunteers Die from Outbreak
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced on Saturday that three of its volunteers had died from the outbreak in Mongbwalu. The agency believes these healthcare workers contracted the virus on 27 March while conducting dead body management for a humanitarian mission unrelated to Ebola. This significantly pushes back the outbreak's estimated timeline from the previous first confirmed death in late April in Bunia, Ituri's capital.
