‘Mystery disease’ with varied symptoms kills 5, leaves 35 ill

A stethoscope and chart in a doctor's office. (Pexels)

They experienced fever, vomiting, bloody urine, jaundice and anemia, and so far, no one knows why.

Five people have died in Burundi and another 35 fell ill, but exactly what illness spread through a northern portion of the East African country remains to be determined.

The first cases of the “mystery disease” were reported in late March in Burundi’s Mpanda district, according to an article published Thursday in The British Medical Journal, or BMJ.

Dozens of people who ended up with the undiagnosed illness experienced symptoms including diarrhea, fever, vomiting, bloody urine, fatigue, and abdominal pain, the report said. The most severe cases involved jaundice and anemia.

They were tested for Ebola, Marburg virus and Rift Valley fever, according to the World Health Organization, which is supporting the country’s health ministry in its investigation.

Patients were also tested for yellow fever and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and still no diagnosis. Samples were then sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in case a national lab there could provide answers.

In his article for BMJ, journalist Rob Reddick wrote of speculation from tropical disease experts, ranging from bacterial infections and viruses to a severe gastrointestinal disease.

But at this stage, the illness remains a mystery – and it’s not the first in Burundi’s history.

Reddick said the country dealt with some kind of outbreak three years ago, the cause of which is unknown to this day. Experts cited in BMJ said these medical mysteries may never be solved, but in many cases, it’s a well-known bacteria, virus, or other disease-causing pathogen that presents in an unfamiliar way.