Ebola fighters start at the cemetery: Tracking the dead to stop the virus

MONGWALU, Democratic Republic of Congo – To stop Ebola, you sometimes have to start in the cemetery. Epidemiologist Dang Bahyia-Batinda works for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the heart of the current outbreak. He explains that the largest burial site, CECA 20, holds most of the victims. It is not just a place for the dead. It is a critical surveillance point. Health workers must track everyone who touched the bodies before burial. They tell these contacts they must stay in quarantine for 21 days. If any symptom appears, they must go to the Ebola Treatment Center (CTE). The outbreak, declared on May 15 in eastern DRC, has already killed 1,405 people. There are 3,200 confirmed cases. Bahyia-Batinda’s job is to improve the surveillance system around Mongbwalu, one of the outbreak’s epicenters. He visits local health centers to check patient records. Many people refuse to go to the main hospital. They prefer small clinics in their neighborhoods. “We take photos of the records, analyze them, and find out why patients were not sent to the CTE,” he says. **Paper-based tracking is fragile** Contact tracing is difficult. The region relies on paper documents. These records are fragile and hard to cross-check. “It is very important to locate every person who has been in contact with a positive patient. Acting fast is vital,” Bahyia-Batinda says. Digital tools exist and work well. But many centers lack them. Even when tools are available, staff often lack training. The epidemiologist ensures every suspected case is investigated fully. When a test comes back positive, he alerts the infection control team. Other staff go to the patient’s home to disinfect. He also analyzes trends: what symptoms patients have, why they are admitted, and how many beds the center needs. MSF runs a 105-bed Ebola treatment center in Mongbwalu. A second center will open in the coming weeks.