Medical professionals have raised concerns about a rapidly fatal, unidentified illness that has caused multiple deaths within hours of symptom onset.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented over 50 fatalities in the northwest region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to this unknown disease. Healthcare workers in the area have reported that symptoms develop swiftly, with only a brief two-day window between the first signs of illness and death.
Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a key monitoring center in the region, expressed alarm over the rapid progression of the disease, describing it as "deeply concerning."
Health experts suspect that the outbreak could be linked to a virus that has crossed from animals to humans. The outbreak was first detected on January 21, and by mid-February, 419 cases had been recorded. Of those infected, 53 individuals have died, resulting in a fatality rate of approximately 12.49%—significantly higher than the 3.14% fatality rate associated with COVID-19.
The WHO’s Africa office reported that the initial cases in the town of Boloko were traced to three children who had consumed a bat and later succumbed to symptoms of hemorrhagic fever within 48 hours. A second outbreak emerged in the town of Bomate on February 9. In response, 13 samples from affected individuals have been sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa for analysis.
Preliminary tests have ruled out known hemorrhagic fever diseases such as Ebola and Marburg, though some cases tested positive for malaria. Further investigations are underway to identify the cause of the outbreak and implement appropriate containment measures.
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