The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it is working with health authorities in Burundi to investigate an unidentified disease that has killed five people and infected 35 others in Mpanda Commune, Bujumbura Province.
According to WHO, laboratory tests have ruled out highly infectious viral diseases such as Ebola and Marburg.
The outbreak was first reported on March 31, 2026, and cases have mainly been identified within the same household and among close contacts.
Symptoms of the illness include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in urine, fatigue, and abdominal pain. Some patients have also shown signs of jaundice and a reduction in blood levels.
Burundi’s Minister of Health, Lydwine Baradahana, said that although initial test results are reassuring in ruling out major viral diseases, investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause.
WHO added that a joint team of experts from Burundi’s public health emergency response unit and the national reference laboratory has been deployed to the affected area to support the investigation.