A mysterious illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has infected at least 416 people and resulted in 31 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), USA Today reports.
The majority of those affected are children, with a significant portion under the age of five. The outbreak is centered in the remote Kwango province in southwestern Congo, where access to healthcare and communication is limited.
The disease presents with flu-like symptoms, including:
- Headaches
- Cough
- Fever
- Breathing difficulties
- Anemia
Preliminary testing of 12 samples revealed that 10 tested positive for malaria, suggesting that many patients could be suffering from co-infections. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that all those who fell seriously ill were also severely malnourished, a factor that significantly weakens the immune system and increases susceptibility to illness.
Health experts believe that the illness could be caused by a combination of pathogens, with possible culprits including flu, pneumonia, a coronavirus like COVID-19, or measles. Further laboratory testing is being conducted to identify the precise cause.
Children, especially those under age five, have been the hardest hit by the disease. While early reports suggested that most of the infections were among people over the age of 15, recent updates from the WHO indicate that young children now make up the majority of cases and fatalities. Malnutrition, which is common in remote parts of Congo, is believed to be a contributing factor to the high child mortality rate.
The outbreak has been difficult to contain due to the remote location of the affected community, which is situated in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province, over 400 miles from the capital, Kinshasa. The trip to Panzi requires a 48-hour journey by road, which has been made even more difficult by the rainy season. Limited communication and road access have hampered efforts to transport medical supplies, experts, and testing equipment.
On Monday, a WHO spokesperson in Kinshasa explained that the initial samples collected from Panzi were not in ideal condition for laboratory analysis. This required medical teams to return to the site to collect new samples for more reliable testing.
A team of experts, including epidemiologists, clinicians, laboratory technicians, and infection control specialists, arrived in Panzi earlier this week to address the crisis. Their mission includes identifying the disease, providing medical care to patients, and investigating how it is spreading from person to person.
The investigation is also focused on tracking individuals who may have come into contact with infected patients or who may have died from the disease. The aim is to establish whether the illness is transmitted through human contact, contaminated water, or other means.
The outbreak comes as Congo faces multiple health challenges, including a large outbreak of mpox (previously known as monkeypox). A unique strain of mpox different from the one seen in the United States has struck Congo especially hard, leading to approximately 9,900 confirmed cases and 45,800 suspected cases in 2024 alone. According to Africa CDC data, 1,153 people have died from mpox in the country.
The DRC’s healthcare system has been strained by civil unrest and an ongoing humanitarian crisis, making it difficult for health authorities to adequately address multiple health emergencies at once. The limited availability of healthcare workers, medical supplies, and disease surveillance infrastructure further complicates containment efforts.
The WHO and local health authorities continue to investigate the source of the illness, and experts hope the newly collected samples will provide vital clues. The discovery of malaria in 10 out of 12 samples suggests that malaria co-infection may be worsening the impact of the disease on vulnerable communities, especially children.
For now, the outbreak in Congo underscores the urgent need for better healthcare infrastructure in remote regions, particularly in areas that are difficult to reach during the rainy season. Global health authorities remain focused on controlling the outbreak, while also managing other public health crises in the country, such as mpox.
As more information becomes available, health officials hope to identify the disease, control its spread, and prevent further loss of life — especially among the country’s most vulnerable population: its children.
