KINSHASA, Congo—Unidentified illnesses in northwestern Congo have killed more than 50 people over the past five weeks, nearly half of them within hours after they felt sick.
The outbreaks in two distant villages in Congo’s Equateur Province began on Jan. 21 and include 419 cases and 53 deaths. Health officials still do not know the cause, or whether the cases in the two villages, which are separated by more than 120 miles, are related. It’s also unclear how the diseases are spreading, including whether they are spreading between people.
