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Severe Illness Claims Over 50 Lives in Northwestern Congo

An unfamiliar illness, initially identified in three children who consumed bat meat, has swiftly resulted in the deaths of over 50 individuals in northwestern Congo within a five-week period, as reported by health officials. Symptoms of the illness, including fever, vomiting, and internal bleeding, have raised alarms due to the rapid progression of the disease, with many patients succumbing within 48 hours of showing symptoms, according to Serge Ngalebato, the medical director of Bikoro Hospital, which serves as a regional health monitoring center.

The emergence of these symptoms suggests a connection to known hemorrhagic fever viruses, such as Ebola, Marburg, dengue, and yellow fever. However, after conducting tests on more than a dozen samples, researchers have ruled out these common pathogens. The latest report indicates that this outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) commenced on January 21, with 419 reported cases and 53 fatalities thus far.

The initial outbreak was traced back to the village of Boloko, where the consumption of bat meat by the three children led to their rapid decline and death. The Africa office of the World Health Organization (WHO) noted these developments on Monday. Concerns regarding zoonotic diseases—those that are transmitted from animals to humans—have been longstanding, especially in regions where wildlife is a popular part of the diet. The WHO documented a striking 60% increase in such outbreaks across Africa over the past decade.

Continued Investigation and Testing

Following a secondary outbreak of the unidentified illness on February 9 in the village of Bomate, 13 additional samples were sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa for analysis. The results confirmed that while these samples were negative for the well-known hemorrhagic fever viruses, some tested positive for malaria.

Last year’s outbreak of a similar mystery illness in another section of Congo was later identified as likely caused by malaria as well. The ongoing investigations into these recent outbreaks highlight the urgent need for public health measures and monitoring in areas facing such risks.

The situation underscores a pressing global health concern regarding the crossover of pathogens from wildlife to humans, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and swift responses to emerging infectious diseases.

Source
globalnews.ca