Mystery Disease Kills Over 50 People In Congo, WHO On Alert

The interval between the onset of symptoms like fever and death has been just 48 hours in most cases.

The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on January 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths.

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An unknown disease, which was first discovered in three children who ate bats, has killed more than 50 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over five weeks.

The interval between the onset of symptoms—such as fever, vomiting, and internal bleeding—and death has been just 48 hours in most cases, which is "really worrying," said Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring centre told the Associated Press (AP). Deadly viruses like Ebola, dengue, Marburg, and yellow fever usually are behind haemorrhagic fever symptoms. However, researchers have ruled out these infections based on tests conducted on more than a dozen samples collected so far.

As per AP, the latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on January 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Africa officer said that the outbreak began in the village of Boloko after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours.

“The outbreaks, which have seen cases rise rapidly within days, pose a significant public health threat. The exact cause remains unknown,” a WHO spokesperson, Tarik Jasarevic, told a briefing on Tuesday, as per The Guardian. The villages have limited surveillance capacity and health infrastructure, he added.

“We are looking into whether it is another infection or whether it is some toxic agent. We have to see what can be done and at what point WHO can support,” said Jasarevic, noting similar outbreaks in the past.

According to The Guardian, as of February 16, there have been 431 cases and 53 deaths in two outbreaks across remote villages in Equateur province, the WHO said in a bulletin.

An earlier outbreak, involving eight deaths among 12 cases, was reported from Boloko Village in Bolomba health zone on January 21, WHO said.