At least 30 deaths at Congo camp suggest Ebola could be spreading fast

Camp officials have described the death rate as unprecedented and a sign that the disease could be spreading fast there.

Kigonze camp in Bunia is located at the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It was not possible to confirm the causes of all the deaths because patients or their relatives had refused testing, a camp spokesperson and Catholic aid organisation, Caritas, said.

However, all had symptoms including headaches, fever and vomiting, which are associated with Ebola, sources said.

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“People didn't just die like this before,” camp spokesperson Desire Grodya Bapi said.

The deaths in Kigonze, which has more than 15,000 residents, raise fears that Ebola may be circulating undetected among eastern Congo's over 5 million displaced people.

Resistance to testing is also compounding the challenge posed by severely limited sanitation measures.

Camp President Dz'djo Ndrutsi Etienne said 10 people were buried this week alone. Ms Grodya said the camp typically recorded between one and three deaths per month.

Justin Zanamuzi, director of Caritas, which helps Kigonze’s residents, said his team on Wednesday saw several bodies covered in sheets, including a pregnant woman and children.

Footage from Thursday shared by the civil society leader showed health teams in hazmat suits disinfecting more bodies and preparing tiny coffins next to a crucifix as mourners wailed.

“Our team tried to persuade people to accept doctors to inspect the bodies. They completely refused,” Mr Zanamuzi said.

The outbreak in the country was first declared by Congolese officials on May 15, but the officials said the deaths had begun earlier in the month.