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

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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] 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

New Prion Disease 2025 Bingo Box ✅

Well that only tracks if they cannabalised the diseased patent 0s.

I'm gonna go re-watch Kingdom (Korea-2019) again...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I know it's probably cultural, but how do you look at a bat and think to yourself that looks delicious?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago

Hunger drives people to try Anything and if it doesnt kill you, theyll keep doing it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

They probably didn't eat it because they thought it would taste good.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

What makes them ugly?

[+] [email protected] -9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

Did the bat they ate fly out of a research facility?

Edit: I'm asking out of fear here people, not political hoohaaery, i genuinely wanted good faith responses, I'm not trying to do a crazy anti reality gotcha.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 4 months 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 4 months 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

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

If you'd like to learn more about bats and zoonotic diseases (viruses that jump from animal to human) I recommend Spillover by David Quammen. I think your question was understandable and people should respond with information rather than downvotes. I think people forget that because something is well known to them, doesn't mean it's common knowledge, especially given the amount of conflicting information surrounding covid.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm sure there are research facilities in rural Congo.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

There's gigantic Dutch research libraries.