A ‘mystery disease’ is behind several deaths in Burundi, and not for the first time – CTV
April 17, 2026
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.
