A mysterious illness has claimed dozens of lives and infected hundreds in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a recent report from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). The outbreak, which began with three children who ate a bat and died, has seen a significant rise in cases within days.
As of February 15, 53 people have died from the disease out of 431 reported cases. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and body aches, as well as more severe symptoms such as bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown.
The link to bats is significant, as viruses in these animals are known to cause various diseases in humans. This includes Marburg and Ebola viruses, which are also responsible for ongoing outbreaks in the region. However, tests conducted by investigators have ruled out these viruses.
The disease has been fatal in over 12% of cases, with the initial outbreak occurring in Boloko Village before spreading to nearby areas. A larger outbreak occurred in Bomate Village, infecting over 400 people.
This new outbreak is separate from a similar illness that infected hundreds last year in the southwestern part of the country, which was later determined to be respiratory infections complicated by malaria. The current outbreak is located in Équateur Province, several hundred miles away from conflict zones.
The region affected spans an area roughly the size of Kentucky and is characterized by sparsely populated farmland and rainforest.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/world/africa/unknown-deadly-illness-congo.html