A mysterious illness has killed more than 100 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the last few weeks. The outbreak emerged in the country’s southwestern province and is believed to have infected nearly 400 people.
The unknown nature of the disease has sparked widespread concern, particularly as the few known symptoms seem to mimic the common flu. Remy Saki, deputy governor of Kwango province, and Apollinaire Yumba, provincial minister of health, noted on Monday that the symptoms include a high fever and severe headaches, runny nose, breathing issues and anaemia.
Saki added: ”A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem.” Both officials have also recognised that the disease is centred in a rural area where adequate medicine and medical services are often hard to come by.
The Health Ministry has highlighted that the majority of people who have died in recent weeks are children over the age of 15. Reports of exactly how many people have died from the disease are varied, with Press Association marking the death count somewhere between 67 and 143.
Yumba has urged people to remain calm and vigilant while putting some protective measures in place to safeguard themselves and their families. This includes washing hands often, avoiding mass gatherings and avoiding close contact with bodies of the deceased without the assistance of qualified health personnel.
The Health Minister has also called on DRC’s national and international partners to send medical supplies and assistance as the country is still in the grips of an mpox epidemic with nearly 50,000 expected cases. The WHO is working with the government and local health services to collect samples, run analysis and get more information about the mysterious illness.