Peace Corps Friends of DR Congo / Flickr
An unknown disease killed more than 50 people in a few hours in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was initially detected in three children who ate a bat and died in 48 hours.
The outbreak started on January 21, in Boloko Villagein the province of Équateur. However, they have already been registered 419 cases and 53 deathsas the News Agency (AP) says.
The disease will have started in Three children under five who ate one, and that ended up 48 hoursaccording to the African Office of the World Health Organization (WHO).
These data emphasize the fears of the possibilities of diseases pass from animals to humansespecially in places where they eat.
Still with COVID-19 well present in memory, the fear of one remains. But at this moment it is premature to anticipate that we are facing something similar.
Symptoms similar to the Ebola
This mysterious disease includes symptoms such as fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and internal bleedingwhich are usual in the so -called “hemorrhagic fevers” that are usually linked to viruses as OEO.
But samples of patients sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research of Congo revealed themselves negative for common diseases of “hemorrhagic fever”, as the AP learns, noting that some had a Positive result for malaria.
In December 2024, he had reported that one, or unknown, was affecting hundreds of people in another zone of Congo, without realizing what would be causing it, but with signs that it could be.
However, it is not known if there is a connection between the two outbreaks.
What more worries
What is it “Really worrying” in this mysterious disease is the interval between the onset of symptoms and death, which was Only 48 hours In many of the records, as the Serge Ngalebato doctor of Bikoro Hospital says, a regional monitoring center in Congo, in statements released by AP.
“The remote location and poor health infrastructure increase the risk of greater disseminationFrom the disease, warns WHO in a report cited by.
The authorities of the country in central Africa and WHO continue to investigate the outbreak.
