Mysterious Disease Claims Dozens of Lives in Congo

kinshasa - Unknown illness linked to eating bats results in over 50 deaths in a month in northwestern Congo.

Outbreak in Boloko

An unidentified illness has claimed the lives of over fifty people in the past month in northwestern Congo. The deadly outbreak appears to have originated in the city of Boloko, where three children died after consuming a bat. Researchers suspect it to be a form of fever accompanied by bleeding.

Patients are succumbing within 48 hours of displaying initial symptoms, a remarkably short period. Serge Ngalebato, the medical director of Bikoro Hospital, expressed concern over the rapid fatality rate. Since the first cases on January 21, 419 cases have been reported, with 53 fatalities.

Diseases transferring from animals to humans pose a significant risk in regions where consumption of wild animals is common. The WHO reports a 60% increase in outbreaks in Africa due to such infections over the past decade.

On February 9, a second cluster emerged in Bomate. Samples from thirteen patients were analyzed in Kinshasa, yielding inconclusive results: no signs of Ebola or Marburg were detected, but malaria was diagnosed in some patients.

Congo has faced numerous mysterious illnesses in the past. A similar outbreak last year, resulting in multiple deaths, was eventually attributed to malaria. The current outbreak's cause, however, remains uncertain.