A mysterious and deadly illness has killed over 50 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a small window between symptoms and death, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The outbreak began on January 21 and has so far recorded 419 cases, with a fatality rate of 12.49%. The disease is believed to be linked to an animal source, possibly from bats.
The first reported case was in Boloko, where three children died after eating bat meat and displaying symptoms of haemorrhagic fever. Since then, two more outbreaks have occurred, one in Bomate, with samples sent for testing. Preliminary results show that the disease is not Ebola or Marburg, but some cases tested positive for malaria.
The WHO has warned that this outbreak may be a result of another virus jumping from animals to humans. The number of such outbreaks in Africa has surged by 60% over the last decade, raising concerns about diseases transmitted from wildlife.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-unknown-illness-kills-more-34742059