AN UNKNOWN illness has claimed more than 50 lives in north-western Congo, according to local doctors and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The disease progresses at an alarming rate, with most patients dying within 48 hours of symptom onset, said Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring centre.

The latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began on January 21, with 419 reported cases and 53 deaths so far.

According to the WHO’s Africa office, the first cases in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours with symptoms of hemorrhagic fever.

Concerns over diseases spreading from animals to humans have long existed in places where wild animals are popularly eaten.

The WHO reported in 2022 that such outbreaks in Africa have increased by more than 60 per cent over the past decade.

The DRC is also facing one of the world’s largest hunger crises, with an estimated 25.6 million experiencing an emergency level of food insecurity.

Last year, another mysterious flu-like illness that killed dozens in a different part of Congo was linked to malaria.