3 Red Cross volunteers die of Ebola as number of cases rises in Uganda
Three Red Cross volunteers died on suspicion of contracting the Ebola virus during a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in March, the organization said.
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“At the time of the response, the community was unaware of the Ebola virus disease outbreak, and the outbreak had not yet been identified. They are among the first known victims of the outbreak,” the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Saturday.
The volunteers were identified as Alikana Udumusi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo and Ajiko Chandiru Viviane.
Vivaine died on May 5, Katanabo on May 15 and Augustin on May 16.
They are believed to have contracted the virus while “carrying out cadaver management activities” on March 27 during a mission unrelated to Ebola, the IFRC said.
They were volunteers from the Congolese Red Cross, working in the Mongbwalu branch of the Djugu territory, in the province of Ituri, the epicenter of the epidemic.
“We extend our deepest condolences to their families, loved ones, fellow volunteers and colleagues,” the organization said. “These volunteers lost their lives serving their community with courage and humanity. »
The virus is spreading in Uganda
The World Health Organization on May 17 declared the outbreak, which first appeared in Congo and spread to Uganda, a public health emergency of international concern.
As of Thursday, there were 746 suspected cases of the virus and 176 deaths among suspected cases reported in Congo, the World Health Organization said.
So far, there have been at least 88 confirmed cases, with 10 deaths among those cases, including one in Uganda, according to the WHO.
Among the confirmed cases is an American surgeon who contracted the virus while working in Congo. He was taken to Germany earlier this week for treatment.
As of Thursday, according to the WHO, there were two cases in Uganda. On Sunday, Uganda’s health ministry said the number of cases had risen to five.
The three new cases in Uganda include a Ugandan driver who transported the country’s first confirmed case, a Ugandan health worker exposed to the virus while caring for the country’s first confirmed case, and a Congolese woman who entered Uganda with mild abdominal symptoms.
All are receiving treatment.
A “worrying” epidemic
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday called the outbreak in Congo “deeply worrying.”
“These numbers are changing as surveillance efforts and laboratory testing improve, but violence and insecurity are hampering the response,” he said.
Since the outbreak began, aid and personnel have been sent to Congo from regional and international partners, including the WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Doctors Without Borders, and the U.S. State Department, which said it had mobilized $23 million in foreign aid.
The outbreak is caused by a strain of Ebola called Bundibugyo, which causes hemorrhagic fever and for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
On May 18, the CDC issued an order prohibiting entry to foreign nationals who were in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of arriving in the United States.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who were in these countries within 21 days are permitted entry, but must enter at Washington-Dulles International Airport or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for enhanced public health screening.
To date, no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola linked to the current outbreak have been reported in the United States, the CDC said.
