Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are now facing a new threat, an unidentified flu-like illness that has killed at least 71 people in the southern province of Kwango. The deaths, which occurred between November 10 and 25 in the Panzi health zone, include 27 patients who died in hospital and 44 others in the community.
Congolese Minister of Public Health Roger Kamba has stressed that it is still too early to determine the cause or mode of transmission of the disease. In a statement to the press, he said: “It is apparently a respiratory type of illness. I said: apparently. We received the alert only four or five days ago, so do not think that in such a short time we can already identify the mode of transmission.”
Of the hospital deaths, 10 were attributed to lack of blood transfusions, while 17 succumbed to respiratory complications. The disease has affected about 380 people, nearly half of whom are children under five. Reported symptoms include fever, headache, cough and anemia.
Dr Diedonne Mwamba, Director General of the National Institute of Public Health of Congo, noted that the region’s vulnerability factors, such as high malnutrition rates of about 40% and a history of typhoid outbreaks, complicate the situation. He said: “We are really on high alert. We need to confirm through diagnostics the suspicions around whether it is a respiratory infection.”
The Panzi health zone, a remote area about 700 kilometres from the capital Kinshasa, poses logistical challenges for the ongoing investigation. Epidemiology experts are in the region collecting samples to identify the cause of the outbreak, with results expected in the coming days, according to Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to battle a smallpox outbreak, with more than 47,000 suspected cases and over 1,000 deaths, further straining the country’s health system.
Health authorities have urged caution as investigations continue into the mysterious disease, ready to implement all necessary measures to protect the population.