Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are investigating an unidentified illness that has affected over 50 people in the past five weeks.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa office, the outbreak was first reported in the village of Boloko after three children consumed a bat and later experienced severe symptoms.
The illness presents with symptoms such as fever, nausea, and internal discomfort. In most cases, symptoms have developed rapidly, with a short interval between onset and severe effects, which has raised concerns among health experts.
“These symptoms resemble those of known viral infections such as Ebola, dengue, Marburg, and yellow fever, but initial laboratory tests have ruled these out,” said Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional health monitoring center.
The outbreak, which began on January 21, has resulted in 419 reported cases and 53 fatalities. A second cluster of cases was identified in the village of Bomate on February 9, prompting further investigations. Samples from 13 individuals were sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa for testing. While tests for common viral hemorrhagic fevers were negative, some samples showed the presence of malaria.
Health experts have been monitoring the increasing frequency of disease outbreaks linked to human interactions with wildlife. According to WHO, the number of such outbreaks in Africa has risen by more than 60% in the past decade.
A similar situation occurred last year when an illness with flu-like symptoms affected another part of DR Congo. Further studies suggested that malaria was the likely cause in that case. Health authorities continue to work towards identifying the source of the current outbreak and implementing appropriate response measures.
Source: scmp.com; indiatoday.in
