An Ebola treatment center in Bafwasende in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been set on fire, damaging facilities used to isolate suspected cases and forcing medical teams to flee, according to local health officials. 

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions surrounding the outbreak response, with suspected patients subsequently transferred to a health facility in neighboring Ituri province.

The attack follows the killing of a health worker and the injury of another during an Ebola response operation in the same area last week, highlighting growing hostility towards medical teams. 

Reuters previously reported that the workers were attacked by a machete-wielding mob amid misinformation and community fears surrounding the outbreak. Health officials say resistance and mistrust remain major obstacles to containing the Bundibugyo virus outbreak.

Congolese health authorities have reported more than 10,000 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths since the outbreak began in mid-May, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing response teams.