Between October 24 and December 5 of this year 2024, the health zone of Grasshopperin the province of Kwango, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reported 406 cases of a unknown diseasenot yet identified. According to the World Health Organization (OMS), the outbreak has caused 31 deaths registeredwhich is equivalent to a rate of lethality 7.6%, according to international agencies.
Apparently, this is a disease very similar to COVID-19with a mixture of measles y malaria aggrieved. For this reason, people fear contagion beyond the Republic where it originated. For the moment, at least in Europe it has been confirmed that there are no cases, but we will tell you more details about this disease to keep you informed. alert.
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Symptoms and who it affects
Los symptoms why is it a virus? unknown disease in it Congo include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Tos
- runny nose
- Intense muscle pain
The outbreak mostly affects children under five years of age, who represent 54.8% of the deaths. In addition, children under 14 years of age make up 64.3% of reported cases, according to the WHO.
Women represent 59.9% of cases reported, a figure that could be linked to sociocultural and exposure factors, although this aspect has not yet been fully investigated.
In terms of geographical distribution, the disease has been concentrated in nine of the 30 health areas of Grasshopperwith the highest number of cases in Tsakala Panzi (169), Makitapanzi (142) and Kanzangi (78).
What else is known about the new disease?
The European Commission (EC) reported this Monday that the unknown disease in Congo has caused at least 135 deaths so far since last October 24 in a remote area of southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Only 31 of the deaths were recorded in health centers, which suggests that the sick are dying at home. At the moment, serious cases are associated with people with severe malnutrition.
“Historically, the Congo region has been a hotspot for the emergence of emerging diseases due to its biodiversity. It is no coincidence that sprouts like ebola and the monkeypox have also had their origin in this area,” explains Argentine infectologist Hugo Pizzi.
Conclusions so far
The outbreak of this unknown disease has pointed to a possibility where more than one disease is actually contributing to the death cases, according to the OMS. Furthermore, the vulnerability in the Panzi region regarding the health sector has been revealed.
They have mobilized in the Ministry of Health to have teams that strengthen the epidemiological surveillance. Active searches for cases were carried out in all communities and surrounding areas.
It appears that it will also be necessary empower more health personnel both to care for and control infections and for personal protection. Both, expose the population to the symptoms and preventive measures to avoid more deaths with this disease.
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