Red Cross Reports Three Volunteers Dead from Ebola as Death Toll Surpasses 170
Three Red Cross volunteers died from Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo while handling bodies during outbreak response work, as deaths surpass 170 across the region.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced that three Red Cross volunteers have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are believed to have contracted the virus starting March 27 while working on an unrelated project in Ituri Province in eastern DRC before the outbreak was identified, and are suspected to have been infected while handling bodies of deceased patients. The three volunteers are among the first victims of the current outbreak, which has claimed over 170 lives with approximately 750 suspected cases. The IFRC identified the deceased volunteers as Alikana Udumuzi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo, and Achiko Chandiru Vivienne. All three worked courageously and humanely in Mongwalu, currently the outbreak's epicenter, and died between May 5-16. Health experts warn that bodies of Ebola patients remain highly contagious due to viral-laden bodily fluids even after death. The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola for which no vaccine yet exists. Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated the public health risk in DRC from high to very high, while noting that regional risk across Africa is high but global risk remains low. Uganda, a neighboring country, confirmed three new infections, bringing its total to five cases. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that ten countries in the region face outbreak risk: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.
