By Gloria Ogbonna
The Ebola outbreak in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has taken an even more heartbreaking turn after two infants died from the deadly virus at a church-run orphanage in Ituri Province, the center of the ongoing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak.
According to a Reuters report published Wednesday, the deaths have heightened fears among health officials and caregivers as the virus continues to spread through vulnerable communities already struggling with poverty, displacement, and years of armed conflict.
The two infants, identified as Buswaza and Cherie, were among the youngest victims of the outbreak. Their deaths have underscored the severe threat Ebola poses to children, particularly those living in crowded care facilities and regions with limited healthcare resources.
Buswaza was only a few weeks old when she arrived at the orphanage in the provincial capital of Bunia. The infant had been brought to the facility after the death of her mother, whose cause of death was not immediately known. Shortly after arriving at the orphanage, caregivers noticed that the baby had developed a fever, one of the early symptoms commonly associated with Ebola infection.
Despite efforts to provide care, Buswaza’s condition rapidly deteriorated. Within days, she succumbed to the virus, becoming one of the latest victims in the growing outbreak.
The second infant, Cherie, faced an equally tragic fate. An orphaned triplet, Cherie was taken to a local medical facility after showing symptoms consistent with Ebola. She was transported alongside five other children who were also suspected of having contracted the virus.
Medical tests later revealed that the other five children were not infected and were discharged from the hospital. Cherie, however, tested positive for Ebola and remained under treatment at the Evangelical Medical Center (CME) in Bunia. Despite medical intervention, she died on Wednesday.
The orphanage where the two children lived currently houses 69 other children, many of whom have already experienced significant trauma after losing parents or family members to years of violence and instability in eastern Congo. The region has been plagued by armed conflict for decades, creating one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
Health authorities have intensified monitoring efforts at the facility, with medical teams conducting frequent visits to assess the health of both children and staff members. Officials are working urgently to determine whether the virus spread within the orphanage or if the children contracted the disease before arriving there.
Concerns increased after three caregivers at the facility, including a nun, tested positive for Ebola. While investigators believe the infants may have contracted the virus from their mothers or through outside exposure, the positive tests among staff members have raised fears of potential transmission within the orphanage.
The emotional toll on caregivers has been immense.
“We are nuns but we are also humans and it has been very emotional,” one of the sisters caring for the children said, reflecting the grief and anxiety facing staff members as they continue caring for dozens of vulnerable children under the threat of infection.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that children in Ituri Province face especially high risks during the outbreak. Even before Ebola emerged, the region struggled with widespread poverty, food insecurity, and chronic malnutrition. Health experts note that malnourished children often have weakened immune systems, making it significantly harder for them to survive serious infectious diseases such as Ebola.
UNICEF has also highlighted the devastating social impact of the outbreak on children. Many young people have been separated from parents and caregivers because of quarantine measures, hospitalization, or death. In some cases, children are left orphaned by the disease. Others face stigma and discrimination after family members become infected.
While health officials report major improvements in testing, contact tracing, and outbreak surveillance compared to the early stages of the crisis, investigators are still trying to determine exactly how and when the outbreak began.
One of the leading theories focuses on the death of Pastor Paluki Makundi Denis, a respected religious leader who died on February 3 at the age of 44.
According to health officials and local reports, Pastor Makundi had been treated in Bunia for what was believed to be a severe abdominal infection. At the time, however, many hospitals lacked diagnostic tools capable of detecting the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. As a result, he was never tested for the virus before his death.
After he died, his body was transported by truck to the mining town of Mongbwalu for burial. During the journey, his wooden coffin was reportedly placed beneath several others and eventually cracked due to the weight and rough road conditions.
The damaged coffin sparked concern among residents who admired the pastor and wanted to ensure he received a proper burial. Community members reportedly removed his body from the broken coffin and transferred it into a new one, unknowingly exposing numerous people to potential infection if the pastor had indeed been carrying Ebola.
The situation became even more complicated when the damaged coffin was burned. The unusual circumstances surrounding the burial fueled rumors among local residents, with some attributing the incident to curses or supernatural causes.
A traditional wake was later held at the pastor’s family compound, drawing at least 80 mourners. In many parts of the Congo, funeral traditions often involve touching, washing, or kissing the deceased as a sign of respect and farewell. Health experts have repeatedly warned that such practices can become major sources of Ebola transmission because the virus remains highly contagious after death.
Investigators now believe Pastor Makundi’s funeral may have become one of the first major “super-spreader” events linked to the outbreak.
The timeline appears to match epidemiological estimates suggesting that the Ebola Bundibugyo strain had been circulating silently for four to six months before authorities officially declared an outbreak on May 15.
Since then, the epidemic has continued to expand. Health officials report that at least 635 people have been infected, while 127 individuals have lost their lives.
As medical teams race to contain the virus, the deaths of Buswaza and Cherie serve as a painful reminder of the outbreak’s human cost. For caregivers at the orphanage and families across eastern Congo, the struggle against Ebola is not just a public health emergency—it is a daily battle to protect the region’s most vulnerable children from a disease that continues to leave tragedy in its wake.
Source Breitbart
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