KINSHASA, Congo — An unknown illness has killed over 50 people in northwestern Congo, according to doctors on the ground and the World Health Organization on Monday. The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases, and “that’s what’s really worrying,” Serge Ngalebato, medical director of […]
An unknown illness has killed over 50 people in northwestern Congo, with symptoms leading to death within 48 hours. The World Health Organization reported 419 cases and 53 deaths as of February 21. The outbreak began in the town of Boloko after three children who ate a bat exhibited hemorrhagic fever symptoms and died. The disease has been described as a mix of illnesses, and a similar mystery illness in another part of Congo last year was linked to malaria.
