Congo: Residents attack Ebola burial team amid rising cases

Residents attacked an Ebola burial team in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province this week, forcing responders to abandon a coffin and raising fears of further transmission, the health ministry said. The assault took place on Monday in Katana, a town controlled by AFC/M23 rebels. It targeted a specialized safe and dignified burial team. The body was subsequently handled by community members, a high-risk practice that can fuel new infection chains. The health ministry and a local hospital official did not specify the trigger for the attack. This incident underscores mistrust and resistance hampering response efforts as officials try to control the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. In a similar incident on Monday in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, residents assaulted a response team at a cemetery, injuring at least four people. Congo has recorded 363 confirmed Ebola cases and 62 deaths since the latest outbreak was declared on May 15. Infections have spread across 17 health zones in Ituri province, with cases also reported in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The International Organization for Migration is helping set up 30 health control posts across the three affected provinces.