The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has declared a state of “maximum alert” after a mysterious disease claimed the lives of over 70 people in just over a month, health authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The disease, which causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and headaches, has been described by Congolese officials as an “unknown public health event.” First detected in late October, the illness has so far been confined to the Panzi region, approximately 700 kilometres (435 miles) southeast of the capital, Kinshasa.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba stressed the gravity of the situation, telling reporters in Kinshasa: “We are on maximum alert, we consider this to be a level of epidemic that we need to monitor.” He revealed that 27 deaths had been recorded in health centres and a further 44 fatalities had occurred within the community, although “other possible causes” were being considered for these.
The Panzi region is notably challenging to access by road, and its residents are grappling with insufficient health infrastructure, a lack of drinking water, and limited medical supplies. Additionally, over 60 percent of the local population suffers from malnutrition, with children particularly affected, according to Kamba. This statistic makes Panzi one of the most vulnerable regions in the country, which had also been severely impacted by a typhoid fever epidemic two years ago.
The mysterious illness is believed to primarily affect younger people, with 40 percent of cases reported in children under the age of five. Epidemiologists have already been dispatched to the area to collect samples.
While specialists have ruled out the possibility of the disease being caused by coronavirus, they have determined that it appears to affect the respiratory system. “We don’t know if we are dealing with a viral disease or a bacterial disease,” said Dieudonne Mwamba, Director-General of the National Public Health Institute, during an online briefing hosted by Africa’s health body, Africa CDC. The exact mode of transmission remains unclear, according to Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya.
Of the 27 deaths recorded in health centres, 17 individuals succumbed to respiratory distress, while ten others died due to severe anaemia, which left them unable to receive necessary transfusions.
This latest health crisis comes as the DRC continues to battle the ongoing outbreak of mpox, which has resulted in over 1,000 deaths in recent months, further exacerbating the country’s health challenges.
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