this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2025
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The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases, and “that’s what’s really worrying,” Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring center, told The Associated Press.

The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on Jan. 21, and 419 cases have been recorded including 53 deaths.

According to the WHO’s 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.

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[–] chalupapocalypse@lemmy.world 326 points 1 week ago (6 children)

"Why do we send all these people food"

So they don't have to eat fucking bats with covid-9000

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 89 points 1 week ago

It's hard to explain international politics. This was a great example of doing it right.

[–] troybot@midwest.social 37 points 1 week ago

covid-9000

Sweet name for a Nu Metal band

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[–] Squorlple@lemmy.world 253 points 1 week ago (9 children)

the first outbreak in the town of Boloko began after three children ate a bat

You’re kidding me

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 108 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Inb4 congo virus lab conspiracy theory

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[–] solrize@lemmy.world 47 points 1 week ago

EBFO? Eat a bat and find out.

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[–] Lumiluz@slrpnk.net 96 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The year is 2024.

Trump is elected president.

Somewhere in the world, a butterfly flaps to the left instead of the right.

A bat follows it.

[–] Sarmyth@lemmy.world 50 points 1 week ago (6 children)
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[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 93 points 1 week ago (3 children)

The interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases, and “that’s what’s really worrying,”

That's also great news because it's easy to identify infections, quarantine, and contain. What would be really worrying is a hemorrhagic fever with an incubation period of 5-21 days a la covid.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 169 points 1 week ago (10 children)

Just because they died right after showing symptoms does mean that's when they were infected. Maybe you're contagious for 3 weeks then cough twice and die.

Have a nice day.

[–] Jumpingspiderman@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Yeah, these kids could have been bat-snacking for quite some time before they came down with any symptoms. Or they'd eaten bats without problems before they lost "bat roulette" and ate one with this particular disease.

[–] Maldreamer@lemmy.world 98 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Have a nice day.

I don't think I will

[–] Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 38 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Yeah no thanks, you have a nice day 🤣

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[–] modeler@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Absolutely!

Another example is HIV: Initial infection is just a minor flu, you're then infectious and active for 5-10 years before becoming seriously ill with AIDS (of course this is for untreated HIV). This allowed the illness to spread for decades adapting to humans before finally being identified in the 80s, killing millions.

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[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 83 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Unless there's a longer dormant period where this is contagious, but shows no symptoms, this disease kills too quickly to become a world pandemic.

[–] Kushan@lemmy.world 62 points 1 week ago (13 children)

Anyone that's played plague Inc knows how this goes. It's not a winning strategy.

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[–] medicsofanarchy@lemmy.world 76 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Note to self: Do NOT eat bats. Even if Mom says, "We're having bat tonight".

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 60 points 1 week ago (3 children)

When this civilization falls and the next one is beginning there's going to be a religious ban on eating bats.

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[–] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 51 points 1 week ago (13 children)

Fuck yes! A deadly pandemic without long drawn out suffering? Sign me up!

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[–] HughJorgens@lemmy.world 50 points 1 week ago (4 children)

If you want to stay up for a few nights, read The Hot Zone, which is about Ebola. Those bats are gonna kill us all someday, and there are so many of them!

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 56 points 1 week ago (14 children)

It's not the bat's fault really. If us humans would stop encroaching further into their territory and stopped warming the planet to the point of no return, we might not be having such extreme issues with zoonotic viruses we've never encountered before trying to kill us.

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[–] the_q@lemm.ee 48 points 1 week ago (17 children)

The earth will be ok. One day we'll be gone and she'll be just fine.

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[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 44 points 1 week ago (16 children)

They had a previous outbreak in December that was diagnosed as malaria. This outbreak is not that one but malaria has not been confirmed as the culprit.

In any case, please don't go to Congo to bring whatever it is to the rest of the world. Let WHO experts figure it out....if only a retard president had not pulled funding for that vital global health organization.

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[–] Sine_Fine_Belli@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago
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