Health authorities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are scrambling to contain a stubborn Ebola outbreak that continues to claim lives and evade control, with officials warning that hidden chains of transmission remain active in several communities.

In towns and villages across Ituri and North Kivu provinces, emergency burial teams in full protective gear move quickly and quietly. Bodies are wrapped, disinfected and interred with minimal ceremony, a stark departure from traditional funeral rites that normally draw large crowds and last through the night.

To slow the spread of the hemorrhagic fever, authorities have imposed strict bans on wakes and large gatherings. The measures, though deemed essential by health experts, have provoked anger and grief among families who feel robbed of their final goodbyes. Some communities have resisted the burial teams, fearing both the disease and the outsiders sent to fight it.

In Bunia, the bustling capital of Ituri province, the front line of the response now includes roadside checkpoints and airport screening posts. At these entry points, every traveler is required to wash their hands in chlorinated water and undergo a temperature check before being allowed to proceed.

“At every checkpoint, at every entry point, there is a temperature check and systematic hand washing,” explains Aimé Prospère, who oversees one of the main control posts near Bunia. “Any passenger who arrives showing signs of Ebola must not board the plane. We cannot let them depart, because they could spread the disease elsewhere.”

Public health data indicate that the outbreak has caused around 160 deaths among nearly 670 suspected cases, though officials caution that insecurity and poor road access mean the true toll may be higher. Armed groups and sporadic violence have repeatedly disrupted surveillance, contact tracing and treatment efforts, allowing the virus to flare in new locations.

The World Health Organization has designated the crisis a public health emergency of international concern, mobilizing additional resources and technical support. Yet Congolese and international experts alike warn that the absence of a widely available, proven vaccine for this particular strain of Ebola leaves the response heavily reliant on rapid isolation, safe burials and community cooperation.

Until every transmission chain is identified and broken, officials say, the risk of further spread within Congo and beyond its borders will remain dangerously real.