Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expect to know within days the cause of an infectious disease outbreak termed ‘Disease X’ that’s sickened hundreds of people and killed at least 79, since late October.
Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that almost 200 of the 376 afflicted with a yet to be identified flu-like illness are younger than five years. Most of the dead have been between the ages of 15 and 18, it added. In a statement on X, the ministry said the disease was of "still unknown origin" and had been detected in Kwango province in southwestern Congo.
Cases of fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, and anemia were first reported on October 24 in the Panzi health zone in the southwestern province of Kwango, with national authorities alerted December 1.
Kaseya addressed the reporters on Thursday, and said, “We have a delay of almost five to six weeks, and in five to six weeks so many things can happen. Ongoing testing will help us to understand what is the issue.”
Health Minister of Congo, Samuel Roger Kamba, told reporters in Kinshasa, “We are on maximum alert, we consider this to be a level of epidemic that we need to monitor”. The government urged people to wash their hands with soap, avoid mass gatherings, and avoid touching the bodies of the deceased without qualified health personnel.
What we know so far about disease X?
The mysterious flu-like disease emerged at a time of increased influenza circulation. According to Dieudonne Mwamba, director general of the National Public Health Institute, the disease is likely to be airborne. Patient specimens are being analysed at a national lab in Kinshasa, some 500km (311 miles) from the outbreak zone. The health officials informed, tests may be completed within 48 hours, with results released at the weekend.
The outbreak has renewed concerns of the emergence of a new pathogen with potential to spread across the world just a few years after Covid-19 forced countries to shut down borders and brought economic and social activities to a standstill.
Earlier this year, the spread of a new strain of mpox prompted the World Health Organization to declare the disease a public health emergency of international concern, though the virus’ spread out of Africa has remained sporadic.
Tackling the disease:
A World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa region official told BBC that they have "dispatched a team to the remote area to collect samples for lab investigations". As per NBC News, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which has an office in Congo, said it is aware of the situation and is providing technical assistance to a rapid response team dispatched by a local emergency operations centre.
Response teams have reportedly been sent to Kwango Province to manage cases and investigate the nature of the disease. The government has urged citizens to stay calm and vigilant. They urged people to wash their hands with soap, avoid mass gatherings, and avoid touching the bodies of the deceased without qualified health personnel.
Kaseya informed that Africa CDC is supporting Congolese officials with epidemiologists, laboratory scientists and infection prevention and control experts. He added that the outbreak highlighted challenges detecting diseases across the sprawling nation, where numerous deadly outbreaks occurred concurrently. He emphasised, “This is why we are supporting the country to build strong capacity on surveillance.”
Aftermath:
A Panzi resident, Claude Niongo, said his wife and seven-year-old daughter died from the disease. Niongo told Associated Press, “We do not know the cause but I only noticed high fevers, vomiting... and then death. Now, the authorities are talking to us about an epidemic but in the meantime, there is a problem of care (and) people are dying.”
Symphorien Manzanza, a civil society leader, said that the situation is worrying as the number of infected people continues to rise. As per him, "Panzi is a rural health zone, so there is a problem with the supply of medicines."
Lucien Lufutu, president of the civil society consultation framework of Kwango province, who is in Panzi, said the local hospital where patients are treated is underequipped. He told AP, “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 also said the disease affected Katenda, another nearby health zone.
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