Congo on high alert as mystery flu-like disease claims 71 lives, half of victims children

Public health officials in Africa are closely monitoring a mystery flu-like disease in Congo, which has claimed dozens of lives in recent weeks. Health Minister Roger Kamba confirmed that 71 deaths have been reported, including 27 in hospitals and 44 in the community, in the southern Kwango province. 

The deaths occurred between November 10 and 25 in the Panzi health zone, which is located about 435 miles from the capital Kinshasa. Around 380 cases, nearly half of which were children under five, have been recorded so far.

Jean Kaseya, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said further details are expected within 48 hours as laboratory results from infected individuals are analyzed. “First diagnostics are leading us to think it is a respiratory disease,” Kaseya explained. “But we need to wait for the laboratory results.” The disease’s infectious nature and transmission method remain unclear.

Symptoms reported by victims include fever, headache, cough, and anemia. In response, authorities have dispatched epidemiological experts to the region to take samples and investigate. However, access to the Panzi health zone has been challenging, with health officials noting that the area is remote and lacks proper testing capacity. Samples had to be transported over 500 km to Kikwit for analysis.

Dieudonne Mwamba, the head of the National Institute for Public Health, highlighted that the region is already struggling with health system challenges, with 40% of Panzi’s population suffering from malnutrition. Mwamba added, “Panzi was already a fragile zone, hit by an epidemic of typhoid fever two years ago, and currently facing a resurgence of seasonal flu.”

A local resident, Claude Niongo, shared his personal tragedy, stating that his wife and seven-year-old daughter died from the illness. “We do not know the cause but I only noticed high fevers, vomiting… and then death,” Niongo told The Associated Press. Another local, Lucien Lufutu, the president of the civil society consultation framework of Kwango province, echoed concerns about inadequate medical resources. “There is a lack of medicines and medical supplies, since the disease is not yet known, most of the population is treated by traditional practitioners,” he said.

The government has not confirmed whether the disease has spread to other health zones, but Kaseya emphasized that nothing has been reported as of now. The mystery disease comes at a time when Congo is already grappling with the ongoing mpox epidemic, which has claimed over 1,000 lives.

Despite the ongoing investigation, public health officials are urging caution as they continue to gather data and monitor the situation in the Kwango province.

(With inputs from AP)