Mystery disease kills more than 50 people in Democratic Republic of Congo
25 February 2025, 15:33
More than 50 people have died from a mystery illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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World Health Organization experts have described the situation as “very worrying” as total cases and deaths continue to rise.
The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases, and "that's what's really worrying", Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring centre said.
The outbreak is believed to have begun on January 21, with 419 recorded cases leading to 53 deaths.
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According to the WHO's Africa office, the first outbreak in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours following hemorrhagic fever symptoms.
WHO has pointed to concerns over the consumption of diseased animals in the area.
The number of such outbreaks in Africa has surged by more than 60% in the last decade, the WHO said in 2022.
After the second outbreak of the current mystery disease began in the town of Bomate on February 9, samples from 13 cases have been sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Congo's capital, Kinshasa, for testing, the WHO said.
All samples have been negative for Ebola or other common hemorrhagic fever diseases like Marburg. Some tested positive for malaria.
