Since October, the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded 406 cases and 31 deaths resulting from an unknown disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The majority of reported cases are among children, especially those under five years of age.
On the 6th, the WHO issued a statement stating that it is sending experts to support Congolese health authorities to carry out further investigations, and reported that laboratory tests are being carried out to determine the cause of the disease. The team is made up of epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory technicians and experts in infection prevention and control and risk communication.
“Our priority is to provide effective support to affected families and communities. All efforts are underway to identify the cause of the disease, understand its modes of transmission and ensure an appropriate response as quickly as possible,” says Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, in the statement.
Below, check out everything that is known about the outbreak of a mysterious disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Where are cases being recorded?
Cases of the undiagnosed disease were registered in November in Panzi health zone in Kwango province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the WHO.
Reported cases peaked in epidemiological week 45 (between November 3 and 9, 2024). However, the outbreak remains ongoing.
Since then, cases have been reported in nine of the 30 health areas in the Panzi health zone: Kahumbulu, Kambandambi, Kanzangi, Kasanji, Kiama, Mbanza Kipungu, Makitapanzi, Mwini ngulu and Tsakala Panzi. The majority of cases (95.8%) are reported in the health areas of Tsakala Panzi (169), Makitapanzi (142) and Kanzangi (78), according to the WHO.
Who is the most affected audience?
In the Panzi health zone, children aged 0 to 14 represent 64.3% of all cases reports of the disease. The most affected age groups are:
- 0 to 59 months (53% of cases);
- 5 to 9 years (7.4%);
- 10 to 14 years old (3.9%).
Furthermore, women constitute 59.9% of the total cases. Among the deaths, 71% are under 15 years of age, with 54.8% of the total in children under five years of age.
Among people aged 15 or over, there are 145 registered cases, of which nine died. The deaths occurred mainly in village communities, according to the WHO.
What are the reported symptoms?
Patients affected with the disease presented symptoms such as:
- Fever;
- Cough;
- Fatigue;
- Runny nose.
In the most serious cases, patients presented difficulty breathing, anemia and signs of acute malnutrition.
Therefore, laboratory tests carried out in the region serve to rule out a series of diseases that present similar symptoms, such as measles, flu, acute pneumonia, E. coli hemolytic-uremic syndrome, Covid-19 and malaria, among others.
What is the lethality of this disease?
To date, 406 cases of the disease have been recorded, with 31 confirmed deaths. This is equivalent to a fatality rate of 7.6% according to the WHO. For comparison purposes, at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, in 2020, lethality was between 0.8% and 11%, according to Oxford researchers.
How are experts investigating the disease?
In a statement, the WHO stated that experts from the entity are joining the National Rapid Response Team and are on their way to Panzi. The team is made up of epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory technicians and experts in infection prevention and control and risk communication. Additionally, a local WHO team has been supporting health authorities to strengthen disease surveillance and identify cases.
Essential medicines, diagnostic kits and sample collection are being delivered by experts sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to quickly analyze and determine the cause of the disease.
According to the WHO, the team will focus on strengthening response measures such as epidemiological investigation and collection of samples for testing, active case finding, treatment and public awareness activities. The team will also work with community leaders to support disease surveillance and promote measures to prevent infections and identify and report new cases.
Finally, WHO is working to develop key messages to increase public awareness and encourage preventive care for the disease. Health and care workers have been informed about the appropriate use of masks, handwashing and gloves to reduce the risk of transmission.
Is there a risk of the disease spreading around the world?
According to the WHO, the The risk of the disease spreading nationally is considered moderate due to the localized nature of the outbreak within the Panzi health zone. However, the entity highlights the need for greater preparation due to the potential for spread to neighboring areas.
At regional and global levels, the risk remains low at present according to the WHO. However, the affected area’s proximity to the border with Angola raises concerns about potential cross-border transmission. Therefore, the entity reinforces the need for continuous monitoring and coordination at borders to mitigate this risk.
This content was originally published in Mysterious disease in Congo: what is already known about the cases? on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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