Epidemic (human)

The World Health Organization has dispatched experts to investigate the unidentified outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.A mysterious illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has infected more than 400 people, primarily children and malnourished individuals, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to send specialists to investigate, the agency reported on Sunday.The unidentified disease manifests as a fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and body aches. It has spread to nine of the 30 areas in the Panzi health zone, Kwango Province, in the southwest of the country. Data from October 24 to December 5 shows that 406 cases were recorded, including 31 fatalities. According to the WHO, while the overall risk for DRC residents is considered "moderate" to "high" in the affected area, the international risk level remains "low."The crisis is being exacerbated by a shortage of health workers in the region. As a result, diagnosis of the disease has been delayed. "The area is rural and remote, with access further hindered by the ongoing rainy season," the UN's health agency pointed out. All severe cases have involved individuals experiencing severe malnutrition, and the majority of reported infections occurred in children, especially those under the age of five. Conflicting numbers regarding how many have died continue to emerge. Last week, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo reported on X that 376 people had been infected and 79 people had died. Health experts note that malaria, common in the region, may be contributing to the situation, leaving open the possibility that more than one disease could be involved. Provincial Health Minister Apollinaire Yumba urged residents to exercise caution, particularly by refraining from touching the deceased, in a bid to curb the spread of the illness. Civil society leader Cephorien Manzanza described the circumstances as dire, citing severe medicine shortages in the Panzi area, where infections continue to rise. Nicaise Ndembi, a senior adviser to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told Euronews that the organization was working closely with local authorities to understand the nature of the outbreak. "We are investigating this alert with the government of the DRC," Ndembi stated. The crisis has emerged amid other public health challenges in the DRC, including a severe Mpox virus outbreak, formerly known as monkeypox. The WHO has reported more than 47,000 suspected Mpox cases and in excess of 1,000 suspected deaths in the African state.