A second Ebola treatment center is set ablaze in eastern Congo, with 18 suspected cases leaving

A second Ebola treatment center in eastern Congo was attacked and burned by unidentified individuals, causing 18 suspected cases to escape into the community. The incident occurred in Mongbwalu on Friday night, where a tent operated by Doctors Without Borders for Ebola patients was set on fire. Dr. Richard Lokudi, director of the Mongbwalu General Reference Hospital, condemned the act, stating it created panic among staff and allowed infected individuals to flee. This follows a similar attack last Thursday in Rwampara, where family members burned down a treatment center after being barred from retrieving a deceased relative. Authorities have banned funeral gatherings exceeding 50 people to curb transmission, as Ebola deaths remain highly contagious during burial preparations. Red Cross teams faced resistance during a Saturday burial in Rwampara, requiring police intervention for safety. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the outbreak’s risk level to 'very high' in Congo, citing 82 confirmed cases and seven deaths, though experts believe the true scale is larger. The Bundibugugyo virus strain, distinct from the more common Ebola variant, went undetected for weeks after the first death in late April in Bunia. With no available vaccine, health workers are struggling to contain the spread amid distrust and protests. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the need for community trust-building in the response. Meanwhile, the Red Cross reported three volunteer deaths in Mongbwalu, likely contracted during unrelated dead-body management activities on March 27. The outbreak’s timeline may now extend further back than initially confirmed, complicating efforts to trace infections.