Los scientists what race against time to contain an outbreak of a mysterious flu-like illness in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have more to deal with than identifying its cause.
To reach the epicenter of the “Disease X” outbreak it takes approximately 48 hours from the capital, Kinshasa.
Furthermore, it is the rainy season there, which slows down the advance of the expertsand also testing kits and other medical supplies to the forested area of Kwango province in the southwest of the contry.
World Health Institution (WHO) officials emphasized the challenges as more cases emerge of the unidentified illness, characterized by fever, cough, runny nose and aches.
There are more than 400 cases of ‘disease
The organization,along with the Congo’s National Institute of Public Health and the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,have sent teams to the region.
As the end of October, there have been more than 400 cases of this unidentified diseaseand national authorities were alerted to the outbreak on december 1.
Most cases occur in children under five years of age and emerged at a time of increased circulation of the flu.
For now, acute pneumonia, flu, COVID-19, measles and malaria are considered possible causal factors, the United Nations health agency said. At this stage, it is also possible that more than one disease is contributing to cases and deaths.
The Congo,which is as large as the U.S. states of Alaska and Texas combined, is home to 10 percent of the world’s rainforests and is were Ebola was identified in the 1970s.
The increased interaction between humans and animals has caused the spread of other diseases to people through infected rodents and bats in the region.
Wars and climate crises have weakened health systems and infrastructure, exacerbating the burden of malaria, MPOX, and hemorrhagic viruses such as Ebola, and leaving tens of millions of Congolese on the brink of starvation. .
It is reported that all those who present the more serious symptoms of “disease They suffer from severe malnutrition.
The difficulties highlight the need to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacities in the region, Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa CDC, said in a statement.
Still, the challenges also mean that scientists of the region They are well versed in addressing infectious diseases with limited resources.
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