Ebola hits Congo's most vulnerable children

These Congolese children returned to the world after a five-day quarantine. This is their first year at the center of a deadly Ebola outbreak. The babies, all orphans, were brought to the hospital after developing symptoms of the virus. They have tested negative and are being housed in temporary housing. However, at least two infants from the same orphanage died. What happened to them was a worst-case scenario for health officials trying to stop the spread of Ebola to young children. At St. Nicholas Children's Home here, an alarm went off in late May when a newborn baby girl, Patience, arrived, but she quickly developed a fever. We were shown around the orphanage. Nearly 70 children and their parents live there. Pediatricians followed Patience's mother's case and learned that she had been infected with Ebola at the time of her death. A few days later, Patience also passed away. She was 9 days old. This was one of the last photographs taken while she was still alive. It is unclear whether her family knew she could be infected. The relative who took her to St. Nicholas refused to speak to us when we reached her by phone. By the time everyone at the orphanage understood the danger, some of the staff had already detained Patience and cared for her. Soon, more children began showing symptoms of the virus. The 10-month-old baby seemed to be getting better when we visited the Ebola treatment ward. Baby Elise was being cared for by Sister Cecile Noube, one of three orphanage staff members who also tested positive. Sister Nube stayed by Elise's side even when she was not feeling well, feeding her, giving her medicine, and watching over her. Elise passed away 24 hours after we met. It's a reminder of how quickly illness can change, especially for babies. Saint Nicholas is currently in isolation. Contact tracers visit the orphanage every day to check children and their parents for fever. “Some people have a little high temperature today, but they're OK at the moment.”The concern is that one infection here could quickly become many. “That could have been a recipe for disaster. This is a very typical situation in which Ebola quickly ravages a community. They play together and spend all day together. So the infection is spreading from person to person. And during zero hours, you would see the whole community infected.” For now, the orphanage is under surveillance. It remains a haven for children in need of shelter and care, as each new symptom raises fears that the virus may still be spreading.