More than 100 inmates at Muramvya Prison in Burundi have reportedly fallen ill from an unidentified illness, with at least 15 people said to have died from the condition over the past three months.
The situation has raised concern at the prison, where the number of sick inmates is reportedly increasing. According to Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), some of those taken to hospital are already in critical condition.
The affected inmates are reported to experience symptoms including fever, loss of appetite and extreme fatigue. However, the exact illness causing these symptoms and its underlying cause have not yet been established.
Health authorities in Muramvya have said that the specific disease has not yet been identified.
Meanwhile, SOS Médias Burundi previously reported that medical tests conducted on some of the affected inmates had confirmed cases of malaria.
The reported outbreak comes amid longstanding concerns over severe overcrowding at Muramvya Prison.
SOS Médias Burundi reported in September that the facility was holding around 836 inmates, despite having been designed to accommodate approximately 100 people.
The living conditions and food available to inmates have also emerged as concerns at the prison.
RPA reported that some inmates have gone for extended periods without beans, with their diet consisting mainly of porridge and maize-based bread.
Although some of the sick inmates have reportedly tested positive for malaria, health authorities have not yet officially confirmed whether malaria is responsible for the wider illness or whether another disease is involved.
There has also been no detailed official explanation of the reported deaths.
Further and reliable information from health authorities is needed to establish the exact nature of the illness reported at Muramvya Prison, the actual number of people affected and the confirmed number of deaths linked to the condition.
Mwizerwa Ally
Rwandatribune.rw
