If the death toll is at least 79 according to the Congolese Ministry of Health, the American agency Associated Press cites a death toll of between 67 and 143 as of December 2.
Since the end of October, a mysterious deadly disease has caused panic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Kwango province, in the west of the country on the border with Angola, at least 79 people have died. But the results could be much more dramatic, the vice-governor of the province Remy Saki and the American agency Associated Press both mention a toll of between 67 and 143 deaths, between November 10 and 25.
Symptoms similar to the flu
According to the Congolese Ministry of Health, infected people presented symptoms similar to those of the flu: fever, headache, cough, runny nose, anemia, breathing difficulties, etc. “A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem”declared the vice-governor of the province, Rémy Saki, who also took specific measures. “Immigration officials have been asked to be able to limit the movements of populations, to record the entries and exits of people who come from surrounding villages”he detailed to the German media DW.
A WHO team on site
On Facebook, the Ministry of Health advises “to avoid mass gatherings” and of “report any suspected cases or unusual deaths to local health authorities”. Residents are also invited to “respect basic hygiene rules”, such as regular hand washing “with water and lounge”. Furthermore, the population was recommended to avoid any contact with corpses in order to avoid and limit contamination.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/03/health/mystery-disease-congo/index.html
The Congolese government has launched a national and international recall for the shipment of medical equipment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring the situation closely. One of their team was sent to the field to collect samples and carry out analyses, said an employee of the organization on condition of anonymity.
