Congo virus outbreak – Congo’s mystery disease spreads rapidly, over 50 die within hours of falling ill

A rapidly spreading and unidentified illness has claimed the lives of more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks, sparking urgent investigations by international health organisations. The outbreak, which began after three children reportedly consumed a bat, has raised concerns about a potential new zoonotic disease.

The illness was first detected in three children from the village of Boloko, who fell ill after consuming bat meat. Within 48 hours, all three children succumbed to the disease.

The time between the onset of symptoms–such as fever, vomiting, and internal bleeding–and death has been just 48 hours in most cases, which is “deeply concerning,” said Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring centre.

These symptoms, characteristic of haemorrhagic fever, are typically associated with deadly viruses like Ebola, dengue, Marburg, and yellow fever. However, researchers have ruled out these possibilities after testing more than a dozen samples collected so far, news agency AP reported.

The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on January 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths.

The WHO has deployed teams to the affected areas to conduct further investigations and support local health workers. However, containment efforts are hindered by limited surveillance capacity and inadequate health infrastructure in these remote villages.

Concerns over diseases jumping from animals to humans have long existed, particularly in regions where wild animals are commonly consumed. According to the WHO, the number of such outbreaks in Africa surged by more than 60 per cent over the past decade, as reported in 2022.

Following the second outbreak of the mysterious disease in the village of Bomate on February 9, samples from 13 cases were sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, for testing. The WHO confirmed that all samples tested negative for common hemorrhagic fever diseases, though some were positive for malaria.

Last year, another unidentified flu-like illness that claimed dozens of lives in a different part of Congo was ultimately linked to malaria.