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Terrifying Symptoms Of Mystery 'crying Disease' That 'kills You In Hours'

The outbreak is in the northwest of Congo (

Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Health officials are scrambling for answers in Congo after a mystery illness that causes intense crying fits killed more than 50 people over the court of five weeks - nearly half of them within hours of infection.

The outbreaks, including 419 cases and 53 deaths, have been detected in two distant villages in Congo's Equateur province since January 21. Officials have no idea as to the cause, and are unsure whether the cases in both villages - which are 120 miles apart - are related. Worryingly, they are yet to determine how the disease is spreading.

The first victims struck down were a group of children who died 48 hours after eating a bat, according to the World Health Organization's Africa office. In the other village, more infections were detected. Some of them were in malaria-infected patients.

In a statement, the country's health officials said victims suffered a hemorrhagic illness, with fever, vomiting and major internal bleeding listed as symptoms. Others experienced pain in the neck and joints, shortness of breath and profuse sweating. Among children, persistent crying was reported. Patients under 59 suffered intense bouts of thirst.

A group of children became infected after eating a bat (

Image:

Getty Images)

Illnesses have been clustered in two remote villages in different health zones of Equateur province, which is 400 miles (640 kilometers) from Kinshasa.

The first outbreak began in the village of Boloko after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours. More than two weeks later a second and larger outbreak was recorded in the village of Bomate, where more than 400 people have been sickened.

Dr. Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring center, and one of the government experts deployed to respond to the outbreak, says the situations in the two villages are somewhat different.

"The first one with a lot of deaths, that we continue to investigate because it's an unusual situation, (and) in the second episode that we're dealing with, we see a lot of the cases of malaria," said Dr. Ngalebato.

The WHO Africa office said the quick progression from sickness to death in Boloko is a key concern, along with the high number of deaths in Bomate. Congo's Ministry of Health said about 80% of the patients share similar symptoms including fever, chills, body aches and diarrhea.While these symptoms can be caused by many common infections, health officials initially feared the symptoms and the quick deaths of some of the victims could also be a sign of a hemorrhagic fever such as Ebola, which was also linked to an infected animal.

However, Ebola and similar diseases including Marburg have been ruled out after more than a dozen samples were collected and tested in the capital of Kinshasa. The WHO said it is investigating a number of possible causes, including malaria, viral hemorrhagic fever, food or water poisoning, typhoid fever and meningitis.

Deadly Disease Spreading In Congo May Be Malaria: Can This Common Disease Mutate And Become So Deadly?

Days after a mysterious disease that killed 50 people in Congo, health officials have said it could be malaria. The condition that is spreading in the northwest Democratic Republic of Congo could also be food poisoning, the officials have told news agency Reuters.At least 943 people have also fallen sick and 52 died in Equateur province, with symptoms ranging from fever and fatigue to vomiting and weight loss, Dieudonne Mwamba, director general of the National Institute of Public Health, said. "For now, our diagnosis is malaria, and we also suspect food poisoning," Mwamba told Reuters." The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing multiple public health and humanitarian crises. In its northwestern Équateur Province, two clusters of cases and deaths from an unknown disease have emerged, resulting in hundreds of cases and dozens of deaths," the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said in a report released on February 16.The primary clinical manifestations include fever, chills, headache, myalgia, body aches, sweating, rhinorrhea, neck stiffness, cough, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal cramps. Close to half of the deaths occurred within 48 hours of symptom onset.The WHO report said that children had consumed a bat carcass prior to onset of signs and symptoms."There are five villages that are affected ... The diagnostic is more pointing toward malaria," Ngashi Ngongo from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said in a press briefing via video link.The World Health Organization said it was stepping up surveillance and will work with local health authorities to conduct further investigations.The outbreak was identified on January 21, 2025. The samples were collected from a deceased individual in Danda Village, were tested at the Provincial Laboratory in Mbandaka using GeneXpert. All samples return negative results for Ebola virus. 10 days later, after further testing the specimens were negative for Zaire ebolavirus and Marburg virus by PCR.

A mysterious illness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has caused 53 deaths among over 400 cases since January.

Yes, malaria can mutate, and this ability plays a significant role in its survival and potential lethality. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, primarily Plasmodium falciparum, which is responsible for the most severe form of the disease. These parasites have evolved mechanisms to resist treatment and adapt to different environments, which makes them harder to control.When malaria parasites are exposed to antimalarial drugs, they can undergo mutations in their genetic makeup, allowing them to develop resistance. For example, Plasmodium falciparum has shown resistance to chloroquine, artemisinin, and other antimalarial drugs over time. This resistance makes treatment less effective, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates, especially in regions with limited access to healthcare.In addition to drug resistance, the malaria parasite's ability to mutate helps it evade the immune system. It can alter its surface proteins, making it difficult for the body's immune system to recognize and attack it effectively. These mutations contribute to the parasite's survival and enhance its ability to cause severe illness, which can lead to death, especially in vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.

Over 60 Deaths Linked To 'unknown Disease' In Congo: WHO

Over 1,000 people are sick from the mystery disease, health officials said.

February 27, 2025, 12:00 PM

At least 60 people have died and over 1,000 more are sick from a deadly "unknown disease" spreading in a region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said.

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

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

A general view of the World Health Organization (WHO) on April 28, 2009, in Geneva, Switzerland.

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

MORE: Undiagnosed disease in Congo may be linked to malaria: Africa CDC

Local health officials have identified a surge of cases and deaths three times in different areas of the country in recent months.

A total of 1,096 sick people have been identified along with 60 deaths. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, sweating, stiff neck, muscle aches, multiple joint pain and body aches, a runny or bleeding from nose, cough, vomiting and diarrhea.

Initial lab tests have been negative for Ebola and Marburg. Around half of samples tested have been positive for malaria, which is common in the area. Tests continue to be carried out for meningitis. Officials are also looking into food and water contamination.

In this stock photo an aerial view of Artisanal Gold Miner, near Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen.

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

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

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