More than 50 people died from mysterious disease in Congo, people are dying within few hours of getting sick
An unknown disease in Congo’s Equateur province has killed more than 50 people in the last five weeks. About half of the people die within a few hours of falling ill. Crying is also a symptom of this disease. According to health officials, 419 cases have been reported since January 21 and 53 deaths have occurred.
The outbreak started in two remote villages named Boloko and Bomete. There is a distance of more than 120 miles between the two villages. Officials are still trying to find out the cause of the disease. They are also trying to find out whether the cases in the two villages are related to each other. It is also not clear how the disease is spreading and whether it also spreads from humans to humans.
According to a TOI report (ref), the outbreak of this disease was first seen in Boloko village. Three children died within 48 hours after eating bats there. More than 400 people have fallen ill in Bomete village. Some of these people have been found to have malaria.
WHO became alert
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), no connection has been established between the outbreaks in the two villages. Dr. Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital and a member of the government response team, explained the difference between the two outbreaks. He said, “The first outbreak, which caused a lot of deaths, is an unusual situation that we are investigating. In the second case, we are seeing many cases of malaria.”
These symptoms are seen in patients
About 80% of the patients show symptoms like fever, chills, body ache and diarrhea. Some patients also have neck and joint pain, sweating and difficulty in breathing. People under the age of 59 feel very thirsty, while children have complained of constant crying. Initially, hemorrhagic fever like Ebola was suspected due to the rapid spread of the disease and deaths. However, after examining more than a dozen samples, diseases like Ebola and Marburg have been ruled out. WHO is now investigating other possible causes such as malaria, viral haemorrhagic fevers, food poisoning, typhoid and meningitis.
Children ate bats
The first victims in Boloko were children who ate bats, raising concerns about zoonotic transmission. Zoonotic transmission means the spread of disease from animals to humans. WHO said such outbreaks have increased by 60% in Africa over the past decade. One reason for this is human contact with wildlife in forest areas.
Congo is at high risk of zoonotic diseases
About 60% of the Congo Basin is tropical forest. Therefore, the country is at risk of zoonotic diseases. “The reservoirs of all these viruses are in the forest. As long as we have these forests, we will always face epidemics with viruses that can change,” said Gabriel Nsakala, a professor of public health at Congo’s National University of Pedagogy.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. This cannot be a substitute for any medicine or treatment in any way. Always consult your doctor for more information. NBT does not take responsibility for its truthfulness, accuracy and effectiveness.
