A “disease of still unknown origins” and with symptoms similar to the flu, has caused between 67 and 143 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the end of October.
A worrying epidemic
Since October 24, an unknown disease has caused concern in the province of Kwango, in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dozens of people “Between 67 and 143 deaths” have died as of December 4, according to the country's authorities and international news agencies like Reuters and Associated Press. The origin of this new disease remains a mystery.
According to information relayed by BFMTV, the symptoms of this disease, similar to those of the flu – fever, headache, cough and breathing difficulties – are accompanied by severe anemia, that is to say an abnormal drop in hemoglobin levels. in the blood.
Covid-19 in the lead
Five years almost to the day after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in China, eyes are now turning to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Women and children particularly affected
According to the authorities, 376 patients have been identified. The majority of the dead are “children over 15 years old”. A local epidemiologist, however, told Reuters that “women and children were most seriously affected by the disease.”
“A team of epidemiology experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem,” Remy Saki, the vice-governor of the province, told the AP agency.
The DRC already strongly affected by mpox
The Democratic Republic of Congo is already heavily affected by the mpox epidemic. This disease was long known as “monkey pox” because it is caused by a virus similar to smallpox. But health authorities no longer use this term to avoid racist connotations.
The DRC, which has more than 39,000 cases and has recorded more than 1,000 deaths since the start of the year, launched a still “limited” vaccination campaign in October, according to the Africa CDC, with some 51,000 people vaccinated for a population of more than 100 million people.
