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

submitted 5 months ago by Domino to c/world@quokk.au

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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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[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 5 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.

[–] kata1yst@sh.itjust.works 15 points 5 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