DRC- The World Health Organization has disclosed that an unknown illness has killed over 50 people in Northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Doctors on the ground and World Health Organization, the interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases, and the situation is really worrying.
Dr Serge Ngalebato, a medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring center, told journalists that the latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on January 21st and 419 cases have been recorded including 53 deaths.
According to the World Health Organization Africa office, the first outbreak in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours following hemorrhagic fever symptoms.
There have long been concerns about diseases jumping from animals to humans in places where wild animals are popularly eaten and the number of such outbreaks in Africa has surged by more than 60% in the last decade, the WHO said in 2022.
After the second outbreak of the current mystery disease began in the town of Bomate on February 9th and samples from 13 cases have been sent to the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa for testing
The World Health Organization said that all samples have been negative for Ebola or other common hemorrhagic fever diseases like Marburg while some tested positive for malaria.
Meanwhile Botswana Government authorities have said that at least 9 people were yesterday confirmed dead as rare flooding hit the semi-arid country and another 5,000 people have been affected by the floods as record rainfall tha fell over the last week.
The Minister of State for the Presidency, Meeting Mohwasa told Parliament today morning tgat the nine people who died had all drowned and six of the deceased were children below 10 years.
The United Nations Children Fund said at least 600,000 schoolchildren were experiencing disruptions and can not go to school due to the floods and most schools have been closed since last week.
While the situation is improving with rain subsiding, more than 600 people remained at evacuation centers fearing that the rain may start again, but section of the road between Gaborone and Tlokweng is now closed due to flooding and Most parts of the country recorded heavy rains in a 24-hour period several times last week.
The Chief Executive officer at the local Red Cross Society, Kutlwano Mukokomani, said the organization is continuing to provide relief at evacuation centers across the country.
Additional Reporting from Associated Press.
