A violent clash between authorities and a suspicious community has erupted at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An angry crowd set fire to isolation tents at Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri province after family members were prevented from taking the body of a young man, believed to have died from the virus, for burial.
Local politician Luc Malembe Malembe told the BBC that protesters threw projectiles and set fire to tents used as isolation wards. Police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. Medical workers were placed under military protection. One healthcare worker was injured by stone-throwing protesters.
The deceased was a popular local footballer. His mother told Reuters she believed her son died of typhoid fever, not Ebola. Malembe noted that many in the remote area believe the virus is a fabrication by NGOs and hospitals to generate money.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba reported 159 deaths and over 600 suspected cases. The rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is the culprit, and no vaccine is currently available. Two cases have been detected in neighboring Uganda, prompting suspension of border transport.
