Here Comes The "Disease X" Outbreak

A mysterious illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been dubbed "Disease X." There have been over 400 cases and up to 143 deaths linked to the illness since late October, according to Bloomberg. 

On Sunday, the World Health Organization provided an update on Disease X, indicating the illness has been reported in the Kwango Province, in the southwest part of the Central African country. 

"Panzi health zone in Kwango Province of Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 406 cases of an undiagnosed disease with symptoms of fever, headache, cough, runny nose and body ache," the WHO wrote in the disease outbreak report. 

The report continued:

"Rapid response teams have been deployed to identify the cause of the outbreak and strengthen the response. The teams are collecting samples for laboratory testing, providing a more detailed clinical characterization of the detected cases, investigating the transmission dynamics, and actively searching for additional cases, both within health facilities and at the community level." 

Here's the outbreak map (courtesy of Bloomberg):

WHO noted:

"Malaria is a common disease in this area, and it may be causing or contributing to the cases. Laboratory tests are underway to determine the exact cause. At this stage, it is also possible that more than one disease is contributing to the cases and deaths." 

According to Bloomberg data, the total number of headlines in corporate media featuring "Disease X" last week topped 69, the highest since February, when it was about 127. Notice over the years, including early 2020, when Disease X headlines spiked. 

Data from X also shows a surge in "Disease X"-related posts in recent days. 

The cause of Disease X remains unknown and comes just as President-elect Trump is set to re-enter the White House next year.