In the remote Panzi region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a new and unidentified illness is causing alarm as it spreads across the area, killing dozens of people, mainly children, Al Jazeera reports.
Health authorities have reported over 500 cases since the disease was first detected in October. Despite ongoing investigations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the cause remains unknown, leaving both local and international health experts concerned.
Denise Kabeya, a mother from Panzi, shared her devastating experience when her 12-year-old daughter, Diane, fell ill with symptoms including headaches, fatigue, and a blocked nose. Initially suspected to be malaria or typhoid, common diseases in the region, Diane’s condition worsened, and she passed away by the end of October. This is just one of many similar stories, with the majority of the victims being children under 14, particularly those under five years old.
Between October 24 and December 11, a total of 514 cases were reported across eight of the 30 health zones in Panzi. Local health authorities have confirmed that more than 30 people have died in hospitals, with additional deaths occurring in rural communities. The disease is described as flu-like, with symptoms including high fever, headaches, body aches, and respiratory distress. Severe malnutrition has been found to worsen the condition, especially in children.
The WHO has deployed experts to the region to investigate the outbreak. Laboratory tests have primarily revealed malaria in the samples taken from the affected individuals, though it remains uncertain whether multiple diseases are involved. The difficulty of reaching Panzi, located 700 km from the DRC capital, Kinshasa, and the lack of medical infrastructure, including testing facilities, have further complicated efforts to contain the disease.
In addition to this mystery illness, the region has also been battling other health crises, such as measles and typhoid fever. The Panzi area is facing challenges with insufficient healthcare resources, such as a lack of oxygen supplies, isolation facilities, and basic medical equipment, which has made it even harder for doctors to manage the situation.
Local residents are worried about the disease spreading to nearby areas, especially with the upcoming end-of-year travel period. Calls have been made to strengthen public health measures such as temperature checks, handwashing stations, and epidemiological surveillance to prevent further spread.
While some speculate that the disease may be zoonotic, meaning it could have originated from animals, there has been no official confirmation of this. Health officials continue to investigate, urging the public to minimize contact with wild animals as a precaution.
This new health emergency adds another layer of strain on a healthcare system already burdened by the ongoing mpox epidemic, which has seen more than 40,000 cases and 1,000 deaths this year.
