Mysterious, Flu-Like Illness Claims 143 Lives in Democratic Republic of Congo
The illness is of unknown origin and has already claimed the lives of 143 people (the majority of who were in their teens).
The last time we check on the status of epidemics in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country was dealing with a significant outbreak of a virulent strain of monkeypox that is more readily transmissible. at least 18 countries now have reported cases involving this virus, including the US with one case reported in California.
Now a mysterious, flu-like disease has been reported in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province in southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This unidentified illness has caused significant concern among local and international health authorities, as it is of unknown origin and has already claimed the lives of over 100 people (the majority of who were in their teens).
The health ministry says the majority of people who have died are between the ages of 15 and 18.
More than 300 people have been infected with patients exhibiting symptoms like fever, headaches, runny noses and coughs, breathing difficulties and anaemia.
Response teams have been sent to Kwango Province, specifically the Panzi health zone, where the disease is most common, to manage cases and investigate the nature of the disease.
Cephorien Manzanza, a civil society leader, told Reuters news agency the situation was worrying as the number of infected people continues to rise.
“Panzi is a rural health zone, so there is a problem with the supply of medicines,” he said.
Statement from DR Congo's Health Ministry on unidentified illness:
OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ
Concerning situation in the Panzi health zone, Kwango provinceSince October 24, 2024, a disease of still unknown origin has been spreading in Kwango province, specifically in the Panzi…
— BNO News (@BNOFeed) December 4, 2024
Current reports have placed the death toll at 143 and a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson indicated that agency had been alerted to the presence of the disease last week, and it was working alongside Congo’s public health ministry to make further investigations. The local office of the Centers for Disease Control and Precention (CDC) is also assisting in the response.
“We have dispatched a team to the remote area to collect samples for lab investigations,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević said in an email.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has an office in Congo, said it is aware of the situation and is providing technical assistance to a rapid response team dispatched by a local emergency operations center.
At least there is some good news for the region. It appears the outbreak of the virulent monkeypox virus is “plateauing“.
…[I]n November, WHO noted signs of stabilization in mpox cases in the South Kivu region of the Congo, where a more infectious variant of the virus was first detected.
Despite a rise in cases in other areas, WHO reported that the epicenter of the outbreak in South Kivu’s Kamituga gold mining town may be “plateauing.”
This variant has affected primarily miners and sex workers since its emergence earlier this year, leading health officials to remain vigilant in their monitoring efforts.
Though the trend appears hopeful in South Kivu, WHO acknowledged the limitations in testing and surveillance, making it challenging for researchers to fully understand the virus’s spread and its exact reach.
Hopefully, the new spread of the news disease will not be as wide-ranging as monkeypox has been.
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Comments
All right, everyone, line up for your 17th goddamned booster shot. It probably won’t turn your blood into something that resembles Cheez Whiz.
Is China testing something new?
It’s terrible these young people are dying from whatever, from wherever
Isn’t the use of the term “monkey pox” now considered an aggravated hate crime?
When leftists hear “monkey” they think “black person”, so yes, it is a hate crime.
But it should actually be known as AnalSexPox or GayManPox. Which raises the interesting question of of who was Patient Zero or which gay African had anal sex with an infected monkey anyway?
It was oral… and it wasn’t sex, ir was just dinner.
No, the newer variant mentioned in this post is not sexually transmitted and is not more common among gay men than among anyone else.
The newer variant is INDEED still sexually transmitted, but not solely. Transmission can include a variety of sexual acts as well as other close, dare I say intimate, bodily contact.
Isn’t it great what passing pathogens around among a small community can accomplish? Especially when you include dogs
So, you’re telling us there are biolabs in the Congo without admitting there are biolabs in the Congo.
Nature’s biolab — a bigass jungle.
Please!!! Not jungle! It’s RAIN FOREST!!1!!11!
This wouldn’t happen if it was still Zaire. Just sayin’
How so?
No, but you know when it might not have been happening? If it were still the Belgian Congo. Many people don’t know that after the Belgians took it away from Leopold they ran it very well for about 50 years. It was a decent prosperous place, with good government, good medicine, good education. When they left it turned to crap.
People forget all that and blame the Belgians for what Leopold did. Leopold was a monster, at least on the Hitler level. The Belgians weren’t responsible for that, and when they found out how he was running it they took it away from him.
Or the Muhammad level.
I guess if one is looking for a way to compliment the Belgians, this is about the best they can hope for. “Hey, were not all as bad as that Hitlerian like stain Leopold.” That probably sounds better in Latin.
It must be a gay disease since it’s in the pansy zone.
So now would be a good time to restrict travel to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent this mysterious flu-like illness that has killed 143 from spreading into the United States?