USA

Six-year-old Ebola patient taken from DR Congo hospital found and ‘doing well’

A 6-year-old Ebola patient, whom Congolese authorities were looking for after armed men raided the hospital where he was treated, has been found and is in “good condition”, a local health official told the BBC.

On Wednesday, Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston said two days ago a girl and her mother were taken from a hospital in the eastern city of Butembo by “very angry” men.

It’s unclear whether the boy knew these men, but suspicion and fear around Ebola treatment centers have been widespread during the current outbreak.

On Friday, Gaston said the boy and his mother arrived at an Ebola treatment center about 18 km (11 miles) from Butembo.

“His condition is currently considered stable,” Dr Gaston said of the child.

Ebola treatment facilities have been attacked multiple times during the ongoing outbreak, which has seen more than 230 deaths and 890 cases confirmed.

Last month, Police in Mongbwalu town fired into the air Angry crowds tried to take back the bodies of their deceased relatives at a health facility.

Days ago, Crowd set fire to isolation tents at hospital in Rwampara – A town 85 km (53 miles) southeast of Mongbwalu – after they were prevented from retrieving the body of a man thought to have died of Ebola.

The body of an Ebola victim is highly contagious and can lead to further spread of the virus when prepared for burial. Ensuring funerals are carried out safely is one of the main concerns of health officials trying to combat the epidemic.

Local politician Luc Malembe told the BBC last month: “People are not properly informed or sensitized about what is happening. For a certain segment of the population, especially in remote areas, Ebola is an invention of outsiders; there is no such thing.”

“They believe NGOs and hospitals are creating these to make money, and that’s tragic.”

On Friday, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was still “evolving very rapidly.”

According to the AFP news agency, WHO Africa’s emergencies chief, Marie-Roseline Belizaire, said that “the outbreak is serious” but “is seeing a response that is getting stronger day by day.”

He also said in the briefing that 75 healthcare workers contracted Ebola during the outbreak and 17 of these cases died.

The outbreak was declared on May 15, but transmission remained undetected for some time.

The increase in cases was caused by a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo. There is currently no vaccine for this strain, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has said it could be months before a vaccine is ready.

Ebola treatment centers have been attacked several times during the ongoing outbreak [Anadolu via Getty Images]

The current Ebola outbreak has the potential to be one of the largest ever, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Tuesday, echoing a similar projection made by the US CDC earlier this month.

Uganda, which shares a border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reported 19 confirmed cases of the virus, including two deaths.

However, no new cases have been reported since June 5, WHO said.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the health ministry announced that it has strengthened surveillance systems, contact tracing and treatment infrastructure with special centers in several affected towns.

The WHO has pledged $3.9 million (£2.9 million) to combat the epidemic, while the Africa CDC has announced a budget of $319 million.

Cases are currently concentrated in Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu provinces, where the six-year-old girl was taken from hospital on Monday.

Ituri remains the main transmission centre, accounting for more than 90% of confirmed infections.

WHO warns that conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo complicates fight against Ebola outbreak. The M23 rebel group controls large parts of both North and South Kivu.