Three Red Cross volunteers have died of Ebola in the Congo — BBC
Three Red Cross volunteers have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after contracting the Ebola virus. They were working in the town of Mongbwalu, which is now considered the epicenter of the outbreak. It is believed that they may have been infected before the spread of the virus was officially detected.
The BBC reports on this.
The Red Cross reported that three of their volunteers—Alikana Udumusi Augustine, Sezabo Katanaabo, and Ajiko Chandiru Vivian—Alikana Udumusi Augustine, Sezabo Katanaabo, and Ajiko Chandiru Vivian—likely contracted the virus while working in the town of Mongbwalu. It is now considered the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak.
They worked there with the bodies of the deceased, but before the Ebola outbreak was detected. The three volunteers died between May 5 and 16. They are believed to be among the first to have died during the outbreak in the Congo.
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In the Congo, the number of Ebola deaths has risen to 131 – Reuters.
Earlier reports indicated that the 17th Ebola outbreak had been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has already claimed the lives of 80 people. This time, the disease was likely caused by the little-studied Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, rather than the more common Zaire ebolavirus.
Ethiopia has recorded its first outbreak of the Marburg virus, which is clinically similar to Ebola. The pathogen is capable of spreading rapidly, but there are no vaccines against it.
