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Relatives of an Ebola victim set fire to tents at Rwampara Hospital in Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, after being denied access to his body. The incident, which occurred while six patients were inside, resulted in at least one hospital worker being injured, prompting authorities to deploy military protection.
Military protection has been deployed at Rwampara Hospital following a confrontation involving a family attempting to retrieve the body of an Ebola victim. The outbreak, which began with a healthcare worker’s symptoms on April 24, has resulted in at least 130 confirmed deaths, with health officials cautioning that the number of suspected cases could rise significantly.
Authorities in Ituri have deployed military protection at Rwampara Hospital following a violent incident involving the family of an Ebola victim who attempted to forcibly retrieve his body, leading to injuries among hospital staff. The World Health Organization has classified the ongoing Ebola outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern,” with regional fears intensifying as cases have crossed into Uganda and further measures expected to combat misinformation and community distrust.
What remains unclear — The exact timeline of the outbreak’s progression and the number of confirmed cases is not yet fully established.
Fire destroys makeshift Ebola hospital in Congo after family dispute
Relatives of an Ebola victim who believe the virus is a lie set fire to a hospital after being refused his body.
The young footballer’s family went to Rwampara Hospital in Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo, to try to take his body by force.
However, when they were told they could not take it, they threw stones and set two treatment tents alight while six patients were inside.
At least one hospital worker was injured in the incident, prompting authorities to deploy military protection.
His family, like many in the area, believe Ebola is a lie, according to Luc Mambele, vice president of the Congolese political party A2RC.
Instead, his mother believes he died from typhoid, which is caused by dirty water.
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People were being treated at the time (Picture: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
The man’s relatives believe he died of another disease (Picture: AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonn)
At least one hospital worker was injured (Picture: AP Photo/Dirole Lotsima Dieudonn)
Mambele told CNN: ‘The population is not sufficiently informed or made aware of what is happening.
‘To members of the most remote communities, Ebola is a white man’s invention; it doesn’t exist.’
Authorities refuse to release the bodies of Ebola victims because the virus remains highly contagious after death.
Health officials are also battling misinformation, as many believe Ebola is a money-grab by non-governmental organisations and hospitals.
A lethal strain of the virus has killed at least 130 people, with a further 600 suspected cases.
What is Ebola?
The rare and deadly virus has emerged again in Uganda and Congo (Picture: Getty)
Ebola is an illness caused by a group of related viruses, known as orthoebolaviruses.
Infections come in two parts – dry and wet.
The so-called dry symptoms, which include fever, aches, pains and fatigue, can progress to ‘wet’ ones such as diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding.
As the first round of symptoms, which show within 21 days, resemble the common cold or flu, many Ebola cases go undiagnosed.
Ebola is mainly spread through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected, sick or dead person, or contaminated objects like clothing.
Everything we know about the Ebola outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ but a pandemic is unlikely.
The type of Ebola virus behind the outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is rare. There is no vaccine or treatment.
It’s not clear when the outbreak began but Africa’s leading public health authority said last week that 65 deaths from Ebola had been reported.
Misinformation is one of the main drivers of the current outbreak (Picture: AFP)
The authority, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suspects as many as 671 people could be sickened with Ebola.
The Bundibugyo strain is also tearing through Uganda, where two cases and one death have been reported so far in Kampala, it added.
@metrouk
The World Health Organisation has officially declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo as an ‘emergency of international concern’. Officials have stressed that whilst this isn’t a global pandemic like Covid, there’s concern about regional spread after cases have crossed into Uganda. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids and this strain is the Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. 🎥 @zofia_louise #worldnews #ebola #congo #vaccine
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The first known case involved a healthcare worker whose symptoms began on April 24 and who later died at a medical facility in Bunia.
As test results continue to come in, health officials expect this number to rise to as many as 1,000 – if it’s not already that high.
Ebola can only be transmitted when symptoms begin (Picture: AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Fears of spread are high as many in Ituri have been displaced by a conflict which has gouged hospitals and slowed down efforts to contain the virus.
Ituri is also home to migrant labourers, drawn to the province’s gold mines, who often hop borders.
Public transport, flights and ferries between Uganda and the DRC have been suspended.
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