Remy Saki, the deputy governor of the affected Kwango province in the southwest of the country, told a Western media outlet that 143 people died from the unknown disease in November, and the number of infected is continuing to rise.
The disease is accompanied by high fever and severe headaches. It primarily affects women and children.
Medical teams are working in the province to provide assistance to those infected. Efforts are being made to determine the origin of the disease.
The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have notified the World Health Organization about the emergence of the disease in Kwango.