Search for six-year-old Ebola patient after armed men storm DR Congo hospital

Health facilities have come under attack during the current outbreak as a result of misinformation and fear. DR Congo authorities search for Ebola patient, aged six, after armed men storm hospital Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Ebola treatment centres have come under attack several times during the ongoing outbreak Two health workers are pictured wearing blue protective gear Search for six-year-old Ebola patient after armed men storm DR Congo hospital Authorities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are searching for a six-year-old Ebola patient and her mother after armed men stormed the hospital where they were being treated. The child was taken from Wanamahika Hospital, in the city of Butembo, by "very angry" men with knives, local health official Dr Lubambo Maboko Gaston said in a statement. It is unclear whether the men were known to the child, but suspicion and fear surrounding Ebola treatment centres have been rife during the current outbreak. In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Gaston urged the child and her mother to go to a health centre, as they risked "worsening their health" and "infecting their relatives". Ebola treatment facilities have come under attack multiple times during the ongoing outbreak, in which almost 200 deaths and 840 cases have been confirmed. Last month, police in the town of Mongbwalu fired shots in the air after angry crowds attempted to reclaim the bodies of loved ones who had died at a health facility. police in the town of Mongbwalu fired shots in the air after angry crowds attempted to reclaim the bodies of loved ones who had died Days before, crowds set fire to isolation tents in hospital in Rwampara - a town 85km (53 miles) south-east of Mongbwalu - after they were prevented from taking the body of a man thought to have died from Ebola. crowds set fire to isolation tents in hospital in Rwampara - a town 85km (53 miles) south-east of Mongbwalu - after they were prevented from taking the body of a man thought to have died from Ebola. The body of a dead Ebola victim is highly infectious and can lead to the virus spreading further when prepared for burial. "People are not properly informed or sensitised about what is happening. For a certain segment of the population, especially in remote areas, Ebola is an invention by outsiders - it does not exist," local politician Luc Malembe told the BBC last month. "They believe it is the NGOs and hospitals creating this to make money, and this is tragic." The outbreak has been caused by a rare species of Ebola known as Bundibugyo. There is currently no vaccine for this species and the World Health Organisation has said it could take months for a jab to be ready. Cases are currently concentrated in the provinces of Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu, where the six-year-old girl was taken from the hospital on Monday. Ituri remains the main centre of transmission. The WHO has warned that conflict in eastern DR Congo is making it more difficult to tackle the Ebola outbreak. The M23 rebel group is in control of large parts of both North and South Kivu. The WHO has warned that conflict in eastern DR Congo is making it more difficult to tackle the Ebola outbreak . The M23 rebel group is in control of large parts of both North and South Kivu. More about the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo: A person in PPE and full head covering is having their goggles adjusted by someone, with blue protective gloves, out-of-focus in the foreground. The green scrubs and hair covering of that person can be seen on the right of the picture. What is Ebola and why is stopping the latest outbreak so difficult? A health workers wearing green scrubs smiles and dances as she waves hr left hand in the air. Recovery of Ebola patients offers rare moments of joy at epicentre of outbreak Medical staff wearing protective equipment at a hospital in Bunia, Ituri Provice in the Democractic Republic of Congo Fall in official Ebola numbers appears to be good news but it's not that simple A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. 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