Ebola Outbreak Spreads in Congo Amid Attacks on Health Facilities

Residents in eastern Congo have set fire to two Ebola treatment centers within a week, forcing patients to flee and raising concerns about the spread of the virus. The outbreaks, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, have led to at least 82 confirmed cases and seven deaths in Congo, with additional infections reported in Uganda.

The first attack occurred on Thursday in Rwampara when local youths set fire to a treatment center after being stopped from retrieving the body of a friend who had reportedly died of Ebola. The second attack happened on Friday night in Mongbwalu, where residents burned a tent used for suspected and confirmed Ebola cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded the risk assessment of the outbreak to 'very high' at the national level, although the global risk remains low. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in Congo, with seven deaths, but believes the epidemic is much larger.

Aid workers face a dual threat from both the Ebola virus and angry locals who pelt them with stones and verbal abuse. In Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbreak, residents like Pierre Basola express suspicion towards health workers, accusing them of having ulterior motives. Three times in the last week, healthcare facilities have been attacked by angry mobs.

The outbreaks have led to tensions between health officials enforcing strict Ebola containment measures and local customs surrounding funerals and burial rites. The bodies of those who die from Ebola can be highly contagious and lead to further spread when people prepare them for burial and gather for funerals.

Ugandan health authorities reported two new Ebola cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections in Uganda to seven. All cases are linked to the outbreak in neighboring Congo. A 59-year-old Congolese man admitted to a hospital in Kampala died on May 14 before his Ebola infection was identified. Two other Congolese nationals later tested positive for Ebola after seeking medical care in Uganda.

The first local infections in Uganda were confirmed on Saturday, involving a driver and a health worker exposed to the Congolese patient who died on May 14. Two more health workers at a private hospital in Kampala have since tested positive. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged citizens to stop shaking hands and ordered the postponement of an annual religious event that attracts thousands of pilgrims, including those from Congo.

In Congo, suspected Ebola cases have topped 900, mainly in eastern Ituri province where the ongoing outbreak is centered. The response has been hampered by fear, anger, and frustration among locals, including attacks on treatment centers and distrust of authorities in a region long plagued by armed violence.