from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
DRC Bureau
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) – AT least 31 people have died from a raging, undiagnosed disease in the western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Some 406 cases have been reported since late October in the Panzi health zone in Kwango province.
Symptoms comprise fever, headache, cough, runny nose and body ache.
“All severe cases were reported to be severely malnourished,” stated the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The majority of cases reported are among children, particularly those under five years of age.
The World Health Organization (WHO) lamented that the affected area is rural and remote, with access further hindered by the ongoing rainy season.
Reaching Panzi from the capital Kinshasa by road takes an estimated 48 hours.
“These challenges, coupled with limited diagnostics in the region, have delayed the identification of the underlying cause,” according to WHO.
Given the clinical presentation and symptoms reported, and a number of associated deaths, acute pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, measles and malaria are being considered as potential causal factors with malnutrition as a contributing factor.
WHO is deploying experts to support health authorities in DRC to carry out further investigations to determine the cause of the yet undiagnosed disease.
“All efforts are underway to identify the cause of the illness, understand its modes of transmission and ensure appropriate response as swiftly as possible,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO director for Africa.
DRC, the Central African country, is beset by conflict.
It is enduring one of the most severe crises globally as a result of the civil war and multiple disease outbreaks.
– CAJ News