Authorities in Burundi, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), are investigating an unknown illness affecting residents in the north.
The outbreak, centred in the Mpanda district near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has so far affected 28 people and left five dead.
According to the WHO, the cases were first reported on March 30 and have largely been concentrated within the same household, raising concerns about possible human-to-human transmission.
Patients have presented severe symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and blood in urine, with some also showing signs of jaundice and anaemia.
Initial laboratory tests for Ebola and Marburg virus diseases returned negative results, but further analyses are ongoing to determine the cause of the illness.
The WHO said it is working closely with Burundi’s Ministry of Health to strengthen disease surveillance, improve clinical care, enhance field investigations, and support laboratory diagnosis.
A joint team of experts has been deployed to the affected area to coordinate response efforts and sustain key operations aimed at containing the outbreak.
