Daijiworld Media Network- Kinshasa
Kinshasa, Feb 28: Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), are investigating a mysterious illness that has claimed 60 lives and infected over 1,096 people in Equateur Province.
The outbreak has been reported in the Basankusu health zone, where 141 new cases surfaced last week, though no additional fatalities were recorded. Earlier in February, the region had already witnessed 158 cases and 58 deaths, while 12 cases, including 8 deaths, were reported in January from the Bolomba health zone.
According to the WHO, affected individuals are experiencing fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, stiff neck, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, and, in some cases, nosebleeds. A national rapid response team, including WHO emergency specialists, has been deployed to identify the cause and provide urgent medical assistance.
Initial laboratory tests have ruled out Ebola and Marburg virus, but around half of the tested samples have returned positive for malaria. Further investigations are ongoing for other possible infections, including meningitis, and potential environmental contamination.
Remote locations, poor infrastructure, and limited healthcare access in Basankusu and Bolomba are posing significant challenges to containment and treatment efforts.
In late 2024, a similar outbreak in Kwango Province was initially deemed a "mysterious disease" but was later identified as severe malaria worsened by malnutrition. A government report in January 2025 confirmed 2,774 cases and 77 deaths from that outbreak.
The mysterious illness comes amid multiple health emergencies in the DRC, further straining its fragile healthcare system. Additionally, escalating armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces have disrupted relief efforts, with reports of looting, attacks on aid workers, and road blockages worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as further testing and investigations aim to determine the exact cause of the illness.