Doctors have warned of a “really worrying” unknown fatal ailment that kills in a matter of hours.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 50 deaths in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of an unknown disease with swift symptoms.
WHO doctors on the field in the African nation treated hundreds of cases and discovered a tiny, two-day delay between the start of symptoms and deaths.
Serge Ngalebato, medical director of the Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring center, said in a statement following the disturbing discovery that the very tiny window between symptoms and death is “really worrying”.
The WHO cautions that another virus that spreads from animals to people could be the cause of the outbreak.
According to the WHO, 419 cases have been reported since the outbreak started on January 21 and has continued through mid-February.
Since then, the disease has infected over 400 people, and 53 of them have died, a fatality rate of about 12.49 percent. This is extremely high when compared to diseases like COVID, which have a 3.14 percent fatality rate.
The initial incidence in the town of Boloko started after three children consumed a bat and died within 48 hours of developing symptoms of hemorrhagic fever, according to the WHO’s Africa branch.
Following the second outbreak of the current mystery disease in the town of Bomate on February 9, samples from 13 cases were sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa for testing, according to the World Health Organization.
All samples tested negative for Ebola and other frequent hemorrhagic fever illnesses like Marburg. Some people tested positive for malaria.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
