The rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola spreading in Congo has caught many residents off guard after weeks of silent transmission.

When authorities confirmed the outbreak on May 15, hundreds of suspected cases had already emerged, but some locals dismissed the warning as a "Western conspiracy.”

As of Wednesday, at least 62 people had died among 363 confirmed cases. The response has been further complicated by deep skepticism, attacks on health workers and widespread misinformation.

In Bunia, the capital of eastern Ituri province where the outbreak is concentrated, journalist and editorial secretary Verite Johnson of Radio Television Mont Bleu launched a new program aimed at countering rumors and restoring trust in public health messaging.

The radio show has become a key tool to reach residents who remain unaware of, or skeptical about, Bundibugyo Ebola.

The 45-minute program airs daily at 10:00 a.m., reminding listeners of the risks and regularly featuring health specialists who provide updates and answer questions. Jingles about the virus also play intermittently throughout the day, and residents can call in with questions.

"So far, there is still a layer of resistance within the population, and that is where the media plays an important role,” Johnson said.

Resistance to protocols during public health emergencies is common in Congo, which is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, adding to concerns among communities.

Widespread rumors, often driven by fear and misinformation, discourage residents from following health guidance or seeking medical care during outbreaks, health officials say. People often learn about a disease through the media as authorities and international partners scramble to contain it.

Some residents allege that illnesses labeled as Ebola are exploited by opportunists seeking to profit.

"They don’t separate people who have Ebola from those who have the flu at the hospital. Given the way people are treated, we believe it is about money,” said Samson Gerson, a 52-year-old Bunia resident and father of seven children. "I can never take the vaccine. I would rather die, because if the vaccine arrives, it can scare us even more.”

Analysts say some people in Congo have been receptive to disinformation due to mistrust of the health care system and limited involvement of some local officials in outbreak response efforts.

"What is key is to involve local actors at all levels. If we try to impose what we think is right on the community, we are heading toward failure,” said Basile Rambaud, emergency programs director for Mercy Corps in Congo. "If people do not trust the response, they end up delaying care, rejecting protective measures or avoiding cooperation with health teams, giving the virus more time to spread.”

Residents in Ituri province have carried out at least three attacks on health centers, demanding the bodies of deceased patients. Some people suspected of having Ebola left the centers during the attacks, and health workers were unable to account for their whereabouts.

"We don’t even know what the body of a person who died of Ebola looks like, but we just see images and montages on our phones,” said Bunia resident Chantal Francine, who expressed doubts about the reported deaths.

The virus has rapidly spread from three initial health zones to 24, according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said Wednesday that the outbreak "had a big start.”

Experts and WHO officials have warned that reported figures may not reflect the true scale of the epidemic, as weeks of testing for the wrong virus type delayed containment efforts.

The outbreak has been worsened by ongoing armed conflict between Congo’s government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, as well as attacks by the Daesh-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces, which killed 16 people in Beni territory in North Kivu on Tuesday.

The fighting has displaced large numbers of people in affected areas, officials said.

Despite the growing outbreak and conditions enabling its spread, Johnson said Radio Television Mont Bleu continues to provide residents with vital information.

"Everyone is free to think what they want, but the information remains the same. The epidemic is here,” Johnson said.