Health experts have been deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo by the WHO to try to determine the cause of an undiagnosed disease in Panzi, in Kwango province.
WHO delegates will join the National Rapid Response Team comprising epidemiologists, clinicians, lab technicians and infection prevention and control, as well as risk communication experts, who are en-route to the remote rural province.
Since the end of last month, a local WHO team has been supporting regional health authorities to reinforce disease surveillance and identify cases.
“Our priority is to provide effective support to the affected families and communities, and 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 Regional Director for Africa.
The Health Ministry said 394 cases and 30 deaths have been reported so far. Symptoms include headache, cough, fever, breathing difficulties and anaemia.
Panzi is more than 700km from the capital Kinshasa. Road access is difficult and the communication network is limited.
So far, the disease has been reported in seven of the 30 health zones in the affected province.
Respiratory pathogens such as influenza or Covid-19 are being investigated, as are malaria and measles, among others.
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