Overview

• The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating a mystery illness in northern Congo's Equateur Province, which has killed more than 60 people in recent weeks.
• The disease, suspected to be a viral hemorrhagic fever, progresses rapidly, with nearly half of deaths occurring within 48 hours of symptom onset.
• Initial cases were linked to children who consumed a bat, a known carrier of zoonotic viruses, but the exact cause and transmission method remain unidentified.
• The outbreak's remoteness, weak healthcare infrastructure, and ongoing armed conflict in other parts of the country complicate containment and response efforts.
• WHO teams are conducting tests to rule out diseases like Ebola and Marburg, while increasing surveillance and treatment for other illnesses such as malaria and meningitis.