Heart Melting Photo Of Catholic Priest Infected With Ebola Being Prayed For By His Bishop

Heart Melting Photo Of Catholic Priest Infected With Ebola Being Prayed For By His Bishop

A Catholic priest has contracted the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo amid a continuing outbreak that began in the nation earlier this month. The priest, who has been identified as Fr. Lucien Ambunga, – was reportedly infected in the town of Mbandaka.

The catholic priest was pictured receiving prayers from his Bishop and other priests after being quarantined.

Last Thursday, the first case was reported in a city — Mbandaka, a transport hub located on the Congo River.

According to a World Health Organization count, 58 cases have been identified since early April. It was not possible to establish on Thursday whether the priest was among them. Meanwhile, UNICEF said Thursday it was committed to helping schools and children in the fight against the spread of the virus.

The charity’s DRC representative Gianfranco Rotigliano told AFP if a student becomes infected, he or she would be promptly taken care of.

Following a visit to schools in Bikoro, Rotigliano said:

“I spoke with the schoolchildren, and they know the basic rules including washing their hands regularly, and not shaking hands.” Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and is both highly infectious and extremely lethal.

Extremely contagious and highly deadly, Ebola gained major international attention during the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa that left more than 11,000 people dead.

In the latest outbreak in DRC, the first case of Ebola was reported on May 8 in the rural Equateur province near Bikoro, and later spread to Mbandaka. The World Health Organization has said that the chances of Ebola spreading to other parts of the nation are “very high.”