Mongbwalu, a gold mining town in Ituri province, is considered the origin and a current epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in Eastern Congo. Health experts state that this particular Ebola outbreak was announced slowly, allowing the situation to become severe and spread widely before health officials were fully aware.

Long before the Congolese government declared the Ebola outbreak, Joseph Mute, a community leader in Shuni, a neighborhood within Mongbwalu, observed a series of mysterious deaths. Many patients exhibited severe hemorrhaging.

"They bled from their noses and mouths," Mute recounted, standing on a dirt road in the Shuni neighborhood.

Mongbwalu has a population of about 130,000. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak likely originated here before spreading throughout Ituri, including the provincial capital Bunia, which has over one million residents. Cases have now appeared in Congo's North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, extending into neighboring Uganda.

Initially, the cause of these deaths remained unknown. Many residents, mostly impoverished gold miners, speculated the spreading illness was tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or mercury poisoning—a chemical used to separate gold from ore. Others, however, believed in supernatural explanations.

Health workers prepare burial procedures for an Ebola victim at the morgue of a health center in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, 18/6. *Photo: NPR*

In february, a group traveling by car for a funeral procession from Bunia to Mongbwalu damaged a coffin en route. Upon arrival, the deceased's relatives decided to replace it and burned the old coffin directly in the Shuni neighborhood. This action violated a local traditional taboo. Shortly after, residents in Shuni began falling ill and dying, giving rise to rumors of "the cursed coffin".

"People whispered that the fire from the coffin spread calamity throughout the neighborhood," Mute said about the then-unidentified illness, adding, "but those rumors were completely false."

The Congolese government eventually identified the illness as Ebola, but this conclusion came after a significant delay. The Ministry of Health recorded the first suspected case as a nurse who showed symptoms of fever and vomiting on 24/4. This individual died in Bunia but was transported back to Mongbwalu for burial.

In early may, four health workers in Mongbwalu died within just four days, escalating concerns. However, initial Ebola tests yielded negative results because they only screened for the Zaire and Sudan strains. By 15/5, gene sequencing confirmed the rarer Bundibugyo strain, compelling the government to declare an outbreak. At that time, the Shuni neighborhood alone had already recorded over 50 deaths.

"I am heartbroken," Mute stated, gesturing toward houses in the neighborhood now abandoned because their former residents had either died or fled the affected area.

Over a month later, the number of cases continued to rise sharply. As of 20/6, Mongbwalu and its surrounding areas had recorded 220 cases out of a total of 1,003 Ebola cases nationwide. However, aid organizations suggest the actual figures are much higher. Fear, superstition, and delays in testing have led many patients to avoid treatment, resulting in numerous deaths that have never been officially confirmed.

Women pan for gold-bearing sediment at the Maidede mine in Ituri province, Congo on 16/6. *Photo: NPR*

In some areas, residents fiercely resisted health workers. Rumors circulated that aid organizations intentionally spread the disease for profit. Funerals became hotspots for conflict. This month, authorities had to fire warning shots and use tear gas to disperse a crowd attempting to seize the body of a suspected Ebola victim for a traditional burial.

The gold mining industry also contributed to the rapid spread of the disease. Around the town, thick mud pits hosted miners working in crowded, unsanitary conditions, in close contact with one another. Laborers arrived from various provinces and moved frequently, facilitating the virus's dissemination.

Bisimwa Biragi, a miner from South Kivu province, stated he settled in Mongbwalu after being displaced by armed conflict with the M23 rebel group. "We are very scared. Too many people are dying," he said, as he and two others used mercury to wash ore residue in a plastic basin.

Eastern Congo was already exhausted after decades of conflict, with over 900,000 people living in refugee camps in Ituri alone. Health conditions in Mongbwalu were particularly deficient. Many gold mining sites lacked protective equipment and hygiene control. According to Oxfam, only 20% of residents had access to clean water, while one-quarter of the population lacked basic sanitation facilities.

Health workers dance in celebration as Florence Mangembo (in black) overcomes Ebola at Mongbwalu Endline General Hospital. *Photo: NPR*

While Ebola is often considered a death sentence, survivors do exist. On 16/6, Florence Mangembo, a hospital chief accountant, was discharged along with a three-year-old girl after successfully overcoming the virus. Health workers lined up, dancing and singing to celebrate the two patients' recovery.

Mangembo explained she contracted the illness while providing first aid to her sister, who was vomiting in a field. After her sister's death, the family blamed Mangembo for taking the victim to the hospital. This reaction highlights the deep-seated prejudice and lack of understanding about Ebola within the community.

"This virus is real, and fortunately, I am a survivor," Mangembo stated.

*Binh Minh (According to NPR)*