Three Red Cross volunteers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have died from suspected cases of Ebola, the organization announced Saturday. The volunteers-Alikana Udumusi Augustin, Sezabo Katanabo, and Ajiko Chandiru Viviane-are believed to have contracted the virus while handling dead bodies during a mission unrelated to Ebola in Ituri Province. They are among the first named victims of the outbreak, which involves the rare Bundibugyo virus.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said the volunteers “paid the ultimate price on the line of duty.” He stressed that early case identification and safe burials are critical to stopping transmission.
As of Friday, the WHO confirmed 82 Ebola cases and 7 deaths in the DRC, but warned the true scale is likely much larger, with around 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The DRC’s Ministry of Communication and Media placed suspected deaths at 204.
The outbreak has spread into neighboring Uganda, which reported three additional confirmed cases on Saturday, bringing its total to five. The WHO raised its public health risk level from “high” to “very high” in the DRC earlier this week, while the global risk remains low.