Another Strange Disease in Central Africa

Central Africa is known for its outbreaks of unique and deadly viruses. Recently, another “mystery disease” was discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Deutsche Welle, March 3, 2025). This outbreak follows just six months after an outbreak of “Disease X” that occurred in the same general area. Over 1,000 cases of the mystery disease have been identified, and “a separate outbreak in early February consisted of 158 cases and 58 deaths.” Experts are still studying to understand the outbreaks. The symptoms of the disease are broad and seen in many different types of infections, hindering quick diagnoses. Some experts believe the latest outbreak may be some type of poisoning, though early reports suggested that the first incidence of the illness was in a group of children who may have eaten a bat. Other experts believe the current disease has resulted from “several known pathogens acting together.”

Why is Central Africa such a hotbed for emerging infectious diseases? There are multiple reasons, including the consumption of a wide variety of animals that were not created by God for food, unsanitary living conditions, unsanitary death and burial practices, rampant sexual promiscuity, and a warm climate that promotes the growth of different pathogens. The local infections and deaths from these diseases are sad enough—but, with air travel, disease outbreaks that would once have been limited to one geographical area are now easily transmitted around the globe. To learn more about a risk factor for such infections and how to prevent many of them, read “Do You Really Want to Eat That?”