Mourners in eastern Congo have gathered to bury a 6-month-old girl who died from Ebola earlier this week. This is the third child from the orphanage to die from the disease in recent weeks. The funeral Friday highlights the impersonal nature of safe burial practices and the severity of the epidemic. The Ituri region, at the center of the outbreak, has reported 90% of cases. Residents have clashed with healthcare professionals over disrupted burials and a militarized response. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, responsible for this outbreak, has no approved treatment or vaccine. With 894 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths, the outbreak is three times worse than a previous one in Uganda in 2000.

The Congolese Ministry of Health reports that confirmed Ebola cases in Congo have increased to 782, with 181 deaths. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which lacks an approved vaccine or treatment. The situation is worsened by attacks on health workers, skepticism among locals and ongoing armed conflict. The outbreak is concentrated in the eastern Ituri province, accounting for over 90% of cases, and has spread to North and South Kivu provinces and Uganda. Challenges in contact tracing arise from the frequent movement of displaced people and artisanal miners in the region.