A concerning outbreak of an undiagnosed disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is raising serious health concerns, particularly among children and severely malnourished individuals, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in a recent update.
The WHO reported 406 cases and 31 deaths between October 24 and December 5 in the Panzi health zone of Kwango Province.
The illness is characterized by fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and body aches, but its cause remains unknown. The WHO highlighted that all severe cases involved severely malnourished patients, with the majority of reported cases being children under five.
"The area is rural and remote, with access further hindered by the ongoing rainy season […] These challenges, coupled with limited diagnostics in the region, have delayed the identification of the underlying cause," the WHO said.
The UN organization noted the prevalence of malaria in the region and suggested that it may be a contributing factor or that multiple diseases could be involved.