Mystery illness claims dozens of lives in African state
A deadly unidentified flu-like illness has killed dozens of people over a two-week period in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local authorities have said.
Between November 10 and 25, fatalities were reported in the Panzi health zone in south-western Kwango province, where patients presented with symptoms such as fever, headaches, coughs, and anemia, according to provincial health minister Apollinaire Yumba.
Yumba urged the population to exercise caution, particularly by avoiding touching deceased individuals, to prevent further spread of the illness.
Local authorities reported that between 67 and 143 deaths have occurred, although official figures are still being verified.
“A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem,” the deputy provincial governor, Remy Saki, told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Civil society leader Cephorien Manzanza called the situation dire, noting that the rural Panzi zone faces severe shortages of medicines as the number of infected people continues to rise.
On Tuesday, Reuters cited a local epidemiologist as reporting that women and children have been the most affected by the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed it was notified of the outbreak last week and is collaborating with the DRC’s public health ministry to conduct further investigations.
Nicaise Ndembi, senior adviser to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told Euronews Health that Africa CDC was also working closely with the African authorities to understand the outbreak. “We are investigating this alert with the government of DRC,” Ndembi said.
The outbreak comes as the country battles ongoing health crises, including a severe epidemic of mpox, previously known as monkeypox. The WHO has reported over 47,000 suspected mpox cases and more than 1,000 suspected deaths in the DRC.
