Three Red Cross volunteers die after contracting Ebola in Congo

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies paid tribute on Saturday to three volunteers who died after contracting the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, during body management operations in Ituri province.

According to the organization, the three volunteers were infected on March 27 while participating in a humanitarian mission with no identified link to Ebola at that time. The outbreak had not yet been officially detected in the region.

The victims, Ajiko Chandiru Viviane, Sezabo Katanabo and Alikana Udumusi Augustin, belonged to the Mongbwalu branch in the northeast of the country. They died on May 5, 15 and 16 respectively, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated.

The World Health Organization declared on Sunday that this new outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. There is currently no licensed vaccine or treatment for this variant of the virus.

The bodies of people who have died from Ebola remain highly contagious after death, making unsafe burials one of the main vectors of transmission. Humanitarian teams have been trying for several weeks to limit these risks by organizing protected funeral procedures and raising awareness among local populations.

“These volunteers lost their lives serving their communities with courage and humanity,” the International Federation said in a statement. Red Cross teams are also continuing door-to-door campaigns to combat misinformation about the disease in the affected areas.

This new epidemic is reviving health concerns in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that has regularly faced Ebola outbreaks in recent decades.