Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 30 people have died since the start of May at Kigonze camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, according to camp officials, who said the death rate was unprecedented. Some deaths were confirmed to have been caused by Ebola, raising concerns that the disease may be spreading rapidly in the camp.
Testing refusals hinder confirmation
It was not possible to confirm the causes of all the deaths because patients or their relatives in Kigonze camp had until Thursday refused testing, according to a camp spokesperson and the aid organization Caritas.
All of the dead had shown symptoms including headaches, fever and vomiting, which are associated with Ebola, a camp spokesperson, a bereaved father, three aid sources and a civil society leader told Reuters.
Unusual mortality rate in Kigonze
Kigonze camp has more than 15,000 residents. Camp spokesperson Desire Grodya Bapi told Reuters that such deaths had not occurred before.
Camp President Dz’djo Ndrutsi Etienne said 10 people were buried this week alone. Grodya said the camp typically recorded between one and three deaths per month.
Fears for displaced populations
The deaths at Kigonze have raised fears that Ebola may be circulating undetected among more than 5 million displaced people in eastern Congo. Resistance to testing has compounded the difficulties created by severely limited sanitation measures.
Accounts from aid workers and video footage
Justin Zanamuzi, director of Catholic aid organization Caritas, which assists residents of Kigonze, said his team on Wednesday saw several bodies covered in sheets, including those of a pregnant woman and children.
Footage from Thursday shared by a civil society leader and verified by Reuters showed health teams in hazmat suits disinfecting more bodies and preparing small coffins next to a crucifix as mourners cried.
Zanamuzi said his team had tried to persuade people to allow doctors to inspect the bodies, but they refused.
Outbreak timeline
Congolese officials first declared the outbreak on May 15, but said the deaths had begun earlier in the month.