A mysterious illness sweeping through northwestern Congo has already claimed more than 50 lives in just five weeks, with some victims dying within hours of showing symptoms. With no confirmed cause, no known transmission method, and no clear link between outbreaks occurring over 120 miles apart, the situation is raising serious concerns—not just for Congo, but for the world.
This isn’t the first time a deadly unknown disease has surfaced in Africa, and history tells us that when it does, the rest of the world needs to pay attention. Whether it’s Ebola, the Zika virus, or the deadly new strains of avian flu, these outbreaks often begin in remote regions before spreading internationally. The Congo is a particularly high-risk area, having battled multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one that killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa between 2014 and 2016.
While authorities scramble to identify the source of the illness, there’s no telling whether this could be the next global health crisis or another example of the WHO and the CDC dragging their feet until it’s too late. Let’s not forget that in late 2019, the world watched in real-time as reports of an unidentified virus in Wuhan, China were dismissed—only for it to spiral into one of the most devastating global events in modern history.
If the illness in Congo is something new, why isn’t the global health community sounding the alarm? Why isn’t the Biden administration pushing for immediate answers instead of focusing on funding Ukraine and policing speech online? These are the same so-called “experts” who ignored key warning signs of COVID-19 and then spent years lying to the public about its origins.
If this mystery illness is spreading between people, it could already be traveling beyond Africa, especially with the Biden administration’s relaxed border policies. How many times have we seen the U.S. fail to screen for incoming diseases at airports? Illegal crossings at the southern border are already bringing a surge of tuberculosis cases into American cities—who’s to say something even worse isn’t already on the way?
The U.S. government should be putting America First, immediately pressing the WHO and Congo’s health officials for real answers before this turns into a repeat of 2020. But will they? Or will they once again dismiss the early warning signs, only to later shove lockdowns and mandates down our throats after it’s too late?
This isn’t about fear—it’s about preparedness. Americans deserve to know what’s happening in Congo, and what’s being done to keep this mystery disease from spreading beyond Africa’s borders.
