Health Mysterious deaths in Congo: WHO finds possible cause
The previously unexplained wave of deaths in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo could be due to malaria and frequent respiratory infections in combination with malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced further laboratory tests.
28.12.2024, 03:08
28.12.2024, 03:09
SDA
430 laboratory samples have tested positive for malaria and common respiratory viruses such as influenza, rhinoviruses, SARS-CoV-2, human coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses and human adenoviruses, the WHO said on Friday.
The Democratic Republic of Congo had declared in early December that it was on "maximum alert" due to an "unknown public health event". The mysterious disease had led to dozens of deaths in the Panzi region, around 700 kilometers southeast of the capital Kinshasa.
The first cases appeared in October, and increased surveillance was introduced at the end of November and cases with fever, coughing, weakness and other symptoms such as chills, headaches and breathing difficulties were tracked.
According to the WHO, 891 cases met these criteria in the period from October 24 to December 16, and 48 people died. Around half of the cases and deaths involved children under the age of five and were attributed to undiagnosed illness.
