An unidentified disease has killed at least 31 people in DR Congo’s Kwango Province, with severe cases linked to malnutrition, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
Up to 406 cases of the undiagnosed disease had been reported between October 24 and December 5, in Panzi health zone, the WHO said in an update on December 8.
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The diseases had symptoms of fever, headache, cough, runny nose and body ache.
"All severe cases were reported to be severely malnourished,” the WHO said, adding that the majority of cases reported were among children, particularly those under five years of age.
"Given the clinical presentation and symptoms reported, and a number of associated deaths, acute pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, measles and malaria are being considered as potential causal factors with malnutrition as a contributing factor.
"Laboratory tests are underway to determine the exact cause. At this stage, it is also possible that more than one disease is contributing to the cases and deaths,” the WHO said.
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On November 29, the Congolese Ministry of Health to the WHO an alert regarding increased deaths from an undiagnosed cause in Panzi health zone.
The area experienced deterioration in food insecurity in recent months, has low vaccination coverage and very limited access to diagnostics and quality case management and malaria control measures are "very limited”, the WHO said.
Malaria is a common disease in this area, and it may be causing or contributing to the cases, experts said.
The area is rural and remote, with access further hindered by the ongoing rainy season. Reaching it from Kinshasa by road takes an estimated 48 hours.
"These challenges, coupled with limited diagnostics in the region, have delayed the identification of the underlying cause. Rapid response teams have been deployed to identify the cause of the outbreak and strengthen the response,” the UN agency said.
The case fatality ratio stands at 7.6 per cent, with children aged 0-14 years representing over 64 per cent of all cases.