Three Red Cross volunteers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have died after contracting the Ebola virus, becoming among the first known victims of the latest outbreak. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies paid tribute to the volunteers, who died on May 5, 15, and 16.
The victims, identified as Ajiko Chandiru Viviane, Sezabo Katanabo, and Alikana Udumusi Augustin, volunteered in the Mongbwalu branch in the northeast's Ituri province. They are believed to have contracted the virus on March 27 during dead body management activities as part of a humanitarian mission unrelated to Ebola. At the time of the intervention, the outbreak had not yet been identified and the community was unaware of the disease.
The outbreak is driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organization has declared the situation an emergency of international concern.
Because the bodies of Ebola victims are highly infectious after death, unsafe burials where family members handle the body without proper protective equipment are a leading driver of transmission. IFRC teams are working on the ground to avoid these burials and are going door-to-door to combat misinformation in the area at the center of the outbreak.