A medical tent designated for treating Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo was set ablaze for the second time in a week, with 18 suspected cases fleeing, as confirmed by the director of a local hospital on Saturday. The incident occurred in Mongbwalu, a town at the epicenter of the Bundibugyo virus outbreak, which is a rare form of Ebola. The perpetrators, who remain unidentified, targeted a tent set up by Doctors Without Borders for suspected and confirmed Ebola cases, causing panic among hospital staff and allowing 18 suspects to escape into the community.
Earlier, another treatment facility in Rwampara was burned down after relatives were barred from retrieving the body of a deceased local resident. The disposal of bodies of Ebola victims presents a risk of contagion, leading to concerns about the spread of the virus during funeral preparations and gatherings. Security was tightened for an Ebola patient burial in Rwampara amid tensions between health workers and locals.
Authorities in the northeastern region imposed restrictions on funeral gatherings and wakes involving more than 50 people to contain the virus spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the Ebola outbreak risk level in the D.R.C. to “very high,” reporting 82 confirmed cases and seven fatalities, with a belief that the outbreak is more extensive. The absence of a vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus has complicated containment efforts, with 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths recorded, and expectations of more as surveillance intensifies.
Dr. Jean Kaseya from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stressed the importance of building trust with communities to effectively respond to the outbreak. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies mourned the loss of three volunteers in Mongbwalu, who reportedly contracted the virus during dead body management activities on March 27. This unfortunate event has shifted the outbreak timeline from the initial confirmed death in late April in Bunia, the capital of Ituri.
