Things are becoming even more chaotic in the Democratic Republic of Congo amidst the Ebola outbreak.
For the second time in just a few days, a treatment tent set up for Ebola patients has been set on fire. Several people who were thought to have been infected also fled afterward.
The latest incident happened Friday night in Mongbwalu, one of the towns at the center of the outbreak.
According to local officials, a group of individuals targeted a treatment tent run by Doctors Without Borders that was being used for both suspected and confirmed Ebola patients.
The fire caused panic among medical staff, and during the confusion, 18 suspected cases reportedly escaped back into the community.
Just a day earlier, another Ebola treatment site in Rwampara was burned down. That incident allgedly happened after a group of family members were stopped from taking the body of a man who had died from Ebola.
Since the virus can still spread from the bodies of those who die from it, health officials have been taking over burials to help prevent more infections.
However, this has upset several families, who are frustrated they cannot handle funeral arrangements themselves.
Things were still tense on Saturday during another Ebola burial in Rwampara.
Red Cross workers managing the funeral reportedly faced pushback from local residents and groups of young people; they eventually needed help from security to safely carry out the burial.
As the outbreak keeps growing, officials in northeastern Congo have started to introduce stricter rules to slow the spread of the virus. Authorities have now banned funeral wakes and gatherings larger than 50 people.
The World Health Organization also updated its assessment of the outbreak, saying the situation had become more serious. However, they noted that the global risk remains low for now.
According to WHO officials, there are currently 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths.
However, the true scale of the outbreak is thought to be much bigger.
So far, there is no vaccine available for this Ebola strain, known as the Bundibugyo virus. Health experts say the virus may have been spreading quietly for weeks before it was properly identified as early testing focused on other Ebola strains.
At this point, authorities are investigating around 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, and those numbers are expected to rise as more testing and tracking continue.
Health officials across Africa also said that building trust with local communities will be key in getting the outbreak under control.
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said three of its volunteers have died after reportedly becoming infected while handling bodies in Mongbwalu during humanitarian work back in March.
If confirmed, that could mean the outbreak actually started much earlier than officials first believed.
