Over 50 deaths linked to ‘unknown disease’ in Congo

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Over 50 deaths linked to ‘unknown disease’ in Congo

The World Health Organization has reported that there is a deadly “unknown disease” spreading in one region within the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Local health officials in Congo are partnering with the World Health Organization to investigate.

PHOTO: General Views Of The World Health Organization (Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

The phrase “unknown disease” primarily means that the disease has not yet been identified.

In previous cases, the cases are linked to a known disease, but a lack of available testing leads to lack of certainty.

For example, there was a

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

of an “unknown disease” in December of last year in Congo that was later attributed to illnesses from malaria and respiratory illnesses.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

The latest numbers from the WHO’s Africa Region show that there are 431 cases linked to the outbreak and 53 deaths since January.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

PHOTO: In this stock photo an aerial view of Artisanal Gold Miner, near Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)

Early investigations traced the outbreak’s origin to three kids, all under 5 years old, who developed symptoms after eating a bat carcass.

Symptoms included fever, headache, diarrhea and fatigue – which later progressed to signs associated with hemorrhagic fevers and death.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Ebola and Marburg have already been ruled out, officials say. Nearly half of deaths occurred within 48 hours after symptoms start.

“The remote location and weak healthcare infrastructure increase the risk of further spread,” the WHO notes in its report.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

originally appeared on

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#deaths #linked #unknown #disease #Congo

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up