Ebola patients flee as second treatment center is set on fire in Congo
Work is underway to determine which experimental treatments and vaccines should be prioritised for testing for this virus (AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonn)
An Ebola treatment tent in Mongbwalu, Congo, was set on fire Friday night, marking the second such incident this week targeting medical facilities.
Eighteen patients believed to be sick with the virus left the facility during the attack, which comes amid escalating tensions between health workers and locals over strict protocols for handling highly contagious Ebola victims’ bodies which prevent traditional burial rites.
The World Health Organisation has elevated the risk level for Congo to ‘very high’ due to the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo virus, confirming 82 cases and seven deaths, though the true scale is estimated to be much larger, with 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths.
The outbreak‘s timeline has been significantly revised after the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported three volunteers died from the virus on 27 March, indicating the disease spread undetected for weeks.
In response, authorities in northeastern Congo have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people to curb transmission, while health officials stress the urgent need to build trust with affected communities.
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