Bundibugyo, Uganda (AP) – In the face of the Ebola virus, choices vary widely. Some head to hospitals, while others seek traditional healers. The latter choice can end tragically as many see hemorrhagic fever as a spiritual issue. This sentiment pervades in Congo, which is experiencing its seventeenth Ebola outbreak since the virus’s discovery in 1976. Though decades have passed, the virus perplexes many, often involving religious figures as essential first responders during emergencies.
In this outbreak, among the victims are health workers lacking protective gear, pastors, and congregants exposed during gatherings. Ebola’s transmission occurs through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. The current outbreak is alarming in regions where health workers face distrust and medical treatment is often avoided.
Challenges in Combating Outbreak
Bunia, a town in Ituri province and the epicenter of the outbreak, is mired in misinformation. Some believe Ebola is spread through supernatural means, such as charms dropped in latrines. Onesphore Bangenza from Mercy Corps noted that many view Ebola through a lens of mystery and suspicion toward medical solutions. This delay in seeking hospital care occurs often only when the illness has significantly progressed.
Bundibugyo Virus: A Rare Ebola Strain
This outbreak, caused by the uncommon Bundibugyo virus, lacks approved treatments. Occurring in remote Congo, already beset with rebel violence and displacement, the outbreak exacerbates distress. The virus’s menacing symptoms evoke plague-like fear. Confirmed on May 15, experts suggest infections may have begun earlier, initially misdiagnosed with other viruses. WHO classified it as a public health emergency, prompting the U.S. to restrict admission of travelers from affected areas.
With spiritual explanations sought for the outbreak, humanitarian groups emphasize engaging religious leaders in the fight against Ebola. A widely circulated video shows a catechist leader candidly sharing his experience with Ebola and how he nearly bypassed hospitals for a traditional healing path, a crucial mistake rectified by his children’s insistence.
Historical and Cultural Struggles
Vincent Isimbwa, a Seventh-day Adventist elder, recalls the 2007 Bundibugyo outbreak, noting the disease’s terrifying symptoms led some to believe in supernatural causes. The outbreak, which claimed at least 36 lives, left deep scars in the community, mourning the virus being named after their district. Samuel Kuule, a Ugandan nurse who confirmed the outbreak, experienced a confused diagnosis but was cared for by his wife, who, miraculously, did not get infected.
The healer, whose early misfortunes affected his family, pivoted to treating with herbs post-consultation on the viral spread. Such reliance on tradition is common, turning to neighbors or traditional healers when modern medicine shows little progress. Experts acknowledge that outbreaks often stem from human-animal virus transmission, particularly from handling wild meat.
Strains on Tradition and Faith
WHO advocates early testing and quarantining contacts, but traditional customs pose challenges. In deeply religious areas, conventional burials persist, risking spread. Clerics are expected to heal visibly, placing faith over medical practice. President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda advised against physical contact with the sick, quoting WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the religious links to many victims. He urged, “God is not deaf; you can pray without touching.”
The Associated Press’s religious coverage partnership with The Conversation US, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., is solely responsible for this content.