Some of the DRC's patients suffering from an undiagnosed disease tested positive for malaria, which means coinfection is possible, the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing at the WHO headquarters in Switzerland on Tuesday.
"Of the 12 initial samples collected, 10 tested positive for malaria, although it’s possible that more than one disease is involved," Ghebreyesus pointed out.
Sputnik Africa takes a look at what is known so far about the mysterious disease:
The main symptoms reportedly include fever, headache, cough, runny nose, body ache, breathing difficulties and anemia;
The disease affects mostly children, especially under the age of five, and severely malnourished individuals, the WHO reported;
The Central African nation deployed the National Rapid Response Team to the Kwango province, accompanied by the WHO experts, to identify the cause of the outbreak;
The affected area is remote, telecommunications are severely limited, and access has been made harder by the rainy season. It has taken the national response team several days to reach Panzi, Ghebreyesus noted at the briefing;
The DRC's Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COUSP) has the situation under control, COUSP coordinator Christian Ngandu reportedly said.