WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Over the past five weeks, more than 50 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DRC have died from a mysterious illness.
According to the World Health Organization, as of February 16, there have been 431 reported cases and 53 deaths in two separate outbreaks across remote villages in Equateur province.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic stated that the outbreaks have been spreading rapidly and pose a serious public health risk. However, the exact cause of the illness remains unknown.
He also noted that the affected villages have limited healthcare facilities and disease surveillance systems, making it challenging to track and contain the disease.
Initial investigations suggest that the outbreak may have started when three children under the age of five developed symptoms after eating a bat carcass.
Infected individuals experienced fever, headache, diarrhea, and fatigue, which later worsened into symptoms resembling hemorrhagic fevers, often leading to death. Health officials have ruled out Ebola and Marburg viruses, but nearly half of the deaths occurred within just 48 hours of symptom onset.
The illness first appeared in Boloko village, where 10 cases and seven deaths were reported by January 27. Shortly after, it spread to the nearby village of Danda, which recorded two cases and one death.
Another outbreak has also been identified in Bomate village, but it is still unclear whether it is the same disease or a separate illness. The current case-fatality rate stands at approximately 12 percent, meaning about one in eight infected people have died.
One of the biggest challenges facing health authorities is that they still do not know how the disease is spreading or how people are becoming infected. The remote location of these villages and the lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure make it difficult to respond effectively. Many local health facilities are overwhelmed and struggling to manage the growing number of cases.
Despite ongoing efforts to contain the outbreaks, significant gaps remain in testing, surveillance, and understanding the disease's transmission patterns.
The WHO has emphasized the urgent need for further research, increased resources, and stronger healthcare support to prevent further deaths and contain the spread of this unknown illness.
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