Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A mysterious disease outbreak has claimed the lives of hundreds in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) throughout November, with officials still struggling to identify the cause. According to the Associated Press (AP), the outbreak has killed at least 143 people in the Panzi health zone of Kwango Province over the past month.
Deputy Governor of Kwango Province Remy Saki and Provincial Health Minister Apollinaire Yumba reported that those infected exhibit flu-like symptoms. The country’s Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that symptoms include fever, headaches, coughing, nasal congestion, breathing difficulties, and anemia.
Local epidemiologists noted that women and children are the most affected by the outbreak, but it is still too early to draw conclusions about which groups are most at risk.
Many victims reportedly died at home due to a lack of adequate medical care. “Panzi is a rural health zone, making it extremely challenging to ensure a consistent supply of medications,” said Cephorien Manzanza, a local civil society leader, as quoted by Reuters.
In response, medical teams have been deployed to Panzi Hospital to collect samples and conduct analyses in hopes of identifying the disease.
Scientists Develop World’s First Bionic Eye, Recover Vision for the Blind
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also been monitoring the outbreak since last week. The organization has dispatched a team and is collaborating with Congo’s Ministry of Health to investigate further.
However, the situation continues to deteriorate, with the number of infections rising. As of Thursday, December 4, the BBC reported that the outbreak has affected more than 300 people.
To curb the spread, Congo’s Ministry of Health has urged the public to avoid contact with deceased individuals and warned that handling corpses must involve authorized personnel.
The mysterious disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has drawn global attention, and authorities and medical workers are racing against time to contain the unidentified disease.
(Raidi/Agung)
