AN UNKNOWN illness has claimed more than 50 lives in north-western Congo, according to local doctors and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The disease progresses at an alarming rate, with most patients dying within 48 hours of symptom onset, said Serge Ngalebato, medical director of Bikoro Hospital, a regional monitoring centre.

The latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began on January 21, with 419 reported cases and 53 deaths so far.