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A mystery illness in Congo has killed more than 50 people hours after they felt sick (apnews.com)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — An unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks, health experts say.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That’s basically just bats in general, in terms of zoonosis. They live in giant colonies (tons of opportunities for new mutations) and are natural reservoirs of ebola and other diseases.

Don’t eat bat if you have the choice not to, basically.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 days ago

Plus there's the fact that while their immune system is very mammalian, they have a series of novel adaptations that make them nearly perfect populations for particularly nasty viruses.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bats-immune-system-viruses-ebola-marburg-people