More than 50 people have died in the northwest Democratic Republic of Congo from a mystery illness that first appeared in three children who ate a bat.
The disease has an alarming fatality rate, infecting at least 419 people since its outbreak on January 21, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and local doctors. Many victims die within 48 hours of showing symptoms, as reported by the Associated Press.
“That’s what’s really worrying,” Serge Ngalebato, the medical director of Bikoro Hospital, told AP.
The outbreak began in the town of Boloko after three children reportedly consumed a bat and died shortly afterward from hemorrhagic fever symptoms. A second outbreak followed in the nearby town of Bomate on February 9.
Samples from 13 cases have been sent to Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, but tests for Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers, such as Marburg, have so far come back negative. Some patients tested positive for malaria, but its connection to the illness remains unclear.
Congo has battled an overlapping series of disease outbreaks, including typhoid, malaria and mpox. The most recent mpox outbreak surged to 47,000 suspected cases and is thought to have caused over 1,000 deaths. Another unidentified flu-like illness killed more than 143 people in 2024 before health authorities determined malaria was the likely cause, CBS News reported.
Zoonotic diseases—illnesses that jump from animals to humans—have long been of concern to health officials, particularly in regions where wild animals are commonly consumed. WHO has reported a 60% increase in such outbreaks in Africa over the past decade.
Originally published by Latin Times.
