Between October 24 and December 5, 2024, Panzi health zone in Kwango Province of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded 406 cases of an undiagnosed disease with symptoms of fever, headache, cough, runny nose and body ache, disclosed the World Health Organisation (WHO), adding that all severe cases were reported to be severely malnourished.
Among the cases, 31 deaths have been registered, disclosed WHO, pointing out that the majority of cases reported are among children, particularly those under five years of age.
“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.”
According to the WHO, the teams are collecting samples for laboratory testing, providing a more detailed clinical characterisation of the detected cases, investigating the transmission dynamics, and actively searching for additional cases, both within health facilities and at the community level.
“The teams are also aiding with the treatment of patients, risk communication and community engagement. 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.
“Malaria is a common disease in this area, and it may be causing or contributing to the cases. 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.”
