An unknown disease killed 143 people in the DRC’s southwestern province last month, with the victims reporting flu-like symptoms, including high fever and severe headaches, according to Apollinaire Yumba, provincial Minister of Health.
Reuters reports that a medical team has been sent to the Panzi health zone to collect samples and carry out an analysis to identify the disease, as infections continue to rise in the rural area.
A local epidemiologist said women and children were the most seriously affected by the disease, and that the WHO has been alerted and it working with the Congo’s Health Ministry.
Reuters article – Unknown disease kills 143 in southwest Congo, local authorities say (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
DRC fights mpox-measles co-infections
New variants: Africa needs to strengthen its Covid response