Police Fire Shots to Disperse Crowd at DR Congo Ebola Centre

Police in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo fired shots into the air on Sunday after crowds gathered at an Ebola treatment centre in Mongwalu to demand the bodies of two deceased patients. The unrest lasted throughout the day, according to two local journalists. The same facility had been attacked overnight Friday into Saturday when an isolation tent was set on fire.

Background on the Outbreak Health officials report more than 900 suspected Ebola cases and 220 suspected deaths in the current outbreak. The body of a person who died from Ebola remains highly infectious and can spread the virus if handled during traditional burial preparations.

A hospital official told AFP that one of the deceased was a Catholic religious leader described as a well-known local figure. The medical director of Mongwalu General Hospital told the Associated Press that the facility was placed on general alert.

Health ministers from DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan met over the weekend with the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to coordinate their response. Uganda confirmed two new cases on Monday, both involving health workers, bringing its total to seven infections and one death.

The Africa CDC director-general stated that ten percent of a $319 million budget agreed by the three countries has been secured so far. South Africa pledged an initial $5 million contribution. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.