Health experts have urged Britons to stay vigilant following a mystery virus outbreak in Africa which has claimed 53 lives.
The World Health Organisation reported that 431 people have been diagnosed in two remote villages in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Health officials in the DRC have launched an investigation into the cause of the outbreak.
The first cases were discovered in January in the town of Boloko, with a larger outbreak identified in Bomate on February 9.
Symptoms include fever, vomiting, neck stiffness and internal bleeding, with death occurring within 48 hours in most cases.
The World Health Organisation reported that 431 people have been diagnosed in two remote villages in the DRC - which has also battled mpox outbreaks
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The illness appears abruptly, with patients rapidly deteriorating after showing initial symptoms.
Tests have so far proven negative for Ebola or other common haemorrhagic fever diseases like Marburg, often called "the eye-bleeding virus".
Experts remain baffled about what triggered the sudden outbreak or how the illness is spreading.
Dr Zania Stamataki, Associate Professor in Viral Immunology at the University of Birmingham, emphasised the need for the UK to "stay vigilant," as viral infections can remain dormant for days before symptoms appear.
This means individuals may travel and interact with others before feeling noticeably unwell, potentially increasing transmission.
"In the UK and in other countries we need to remain vigilant and watch for symptoms. Symptoms of a haemorrhagic fever-type disease should be reported to the UK Health Security Agency via a registered medical practitioner," she said.
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The WHO has warned the outbreak poses a 'significant public health threat' requiring 'immediate high-level intervention'
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Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow at the University of Southampton, added: "There is a huge amount of uncertainty about this outbreak.
"It is concerning that we have hundreds of cases and over 50 deaths, with haemorrhagic-fever like symptoms widely reported among those cases."
While Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said: "We saw another such cluster in DRC last November, December.
"That turned out to be malaria and was likely more severe as a result of increased malnutrition. It is certainly possible here that we have a similar issue."
The WHO has warned the outbreak poses a "significant public health threat" requiring "immediate high-level intervention".
A spokesman for the UN agency noted: "The remote location and weak healthcare infrastructure increase the risk of further spread."
According to the organisation, the outbreak was first discovered after the deaths of three children younger than five in Boloko.
All three had reportedly eaten a dead bat before falling ill with haemorrhagic fever symptoms.
Health teams are investigating other potential causes, including malaria, food poisoning, typhoid, meningitis or other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
The WHO confirmed that additional investigations and sequencing are ongoing to determine the cause of illness and deaths.
Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, noted the report of bat consumption "seems to be anecdotal and only in one of the clusters".
"The most important step now is to find out what it is and how it is transmitted so that the appropriate barriers can be put in place," he added.
