Three Red Cross Volunteers Die from Suspected Ebola in DR Congo
Three Red Cross volunteers have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They are suspected to have died from Ebola. The organisation said they likely caught the virus while managing dead bodies.The volunteers are believed to have contracted Ebola on 27 March. They were working in the eastern region of Ituri on a project unrelated to the virus. The outbreak had not yet been identified at that time.
First Deaths in the Outbreak
The volunteers are thought to be among the first to die in this outbreak. The outbreak has resulted in more than 170 suspected deaths and 750 suspected cases. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said they had died after serving their communities “with courage and humanity”. The IFRC named the volunteers as Alikana Udumusi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo, and Ajiko Chandiru Viviane. They died between 5 and 16 May. They had been working in the town of Mongbwalu, which is now considered the epicentre of the outbreak.
Risk Level Raised
On Friday, the WHO raised the public health risk in DR Congo from “high” to “very high”. WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk in the wider region in Africa was “high” but remained “low” globally.
