A MYSTERY disease has killed over 50 people and left hundreds sick in northwestern Congo, according to doctors on the ground.
The time from symptom onset to death is just 48 hours in most cases, “which is really worrying,” said Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital.
The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on January 21, and 419 cases have been recorded including 53 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation WHO.
According to the Africa office, the first outbreak in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours following hemorrhagic fever symptoms.
There have long been concerns about diseases jumping from animals to humans in places where wild animals are popularly eaten.
The number of such outbreaks in Africa has surged by more than 60 per cent in the last decade, the WHO said in 2022.
After the second outbreak of the current mystery disease began in the town of Bomate on Febuary 9, samples from 13 cases have been sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, for testing, the WHO said.
All samples have been negative for Ebola or other common hemorrhagic fever diseases like Marburg.
Some tested positive for malaria.
Last year, another mystery flu-like illness that killed dozens of people in another part of Congo was determined to be likely malaria.
Symptoms of malaria
Malaria is a serious infection spread by mosquitoes.
spread by mosquitoes.
If it’s not diagnosed and treated quickly, you can die from it.
Malaria is caused by being bitten by an infected mosquito and it can take just one bite to get it.
It can be hard to spot, but symptoms include:
- A high temperature, sweats and chills
- Headaches and feeling confused
- Feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children)
- Feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle pains
- Yellow skin or whites of the eyes
- A sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing
These symptoms usually appear between seven and 18 days after you’ve been bitten by an infected mosquito.
But sometimes you may not have symptoms for months after travel, and rarely years.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if you have travelled to a country where malaria is found and have malaria symptoms.
The infection is very common in certain parts of the world, including:
- Large areas of Africa and Asia
- Central and South America
- Dominican Republic and Haiti
- parts of the Middle East
- Some Pacific islands
Malaria is not found in the UK and you can’t catch it from another person.
Source: NHS
