In November, an outbreak of an unknown disease killed 143 people in Kwango province in the southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. About this informs Reuters.
Deputy provincial governor Remi Saki and health minister Apollinaire Yumba said the symptoms of the patients included high fever and severe headache, reminiscent of the flu.
In order to identify the nature of the disease, a group of doctors was sent to the rural health zone of Pantsi, which collects samples for analysis. However, the situation causes serious concern due to the increase in the number of infected people, noted local civil society leader Keforien Manzanza.
“Pantsi is a rural health zone, so there is a problem with the supply of medicines,” – Manzanza said.
Due to the lack of proper treatment, most of the patients die in their homes, local authorities reported. The epidemiologist noted that women and children are the most vulnerable to the disease.
World Health Organization (WHO) officials confirmed that the agency was notified of the outbreak last week. WHO is currently working with the Congolese Ministry of Health to conduct further investigations.
