Congo mystery disease "investigation deepens" as deadly, unidentified illness spreads, WHO says

The World Health Organization said Thursday that its "investigation deepens" into a mystery illness suspected of killing more than 60 people in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo over the past five weeks, warning it was continuing to spread.

The WHO said in a statement Thursday that, along with Congo health officials, it was "carrying out further investigations to determine the cause of another cluster of illness and community deaths" in the Equateur province, marking the third time this year disease surveillance teams have identified an increase in illness and deaths in the region.

"The most recent cluster occurred in the Basankusu health zone, where last week 141 additional people fell ill, with no deaths reported," the United Nations' global health agency said. "In the same health zone, 158 cases and 58 deaths were reported in the same health zone earlier in February. In January, Bolamba health zone reported 12 people who fell ill including 8 deaths."