143 dead from unknown disease in Congo

Published 6 December 2024 at 07.41

Foreign. A mysterious flu-like illness has claimed 143 lives in the Congo, most of them young people, the Associated Press reports. But according to the Public Health Agency, there is no reason to be worried as a Swede “at the moment”.

Share the article

TwittraShare

The outbreak is concentrated in the country's southwestern province of Kwango where at least 376 people have been ill since the end of October, according to data from FluTrackers.com citing local sources.

Those affected show symptoms such as high fever and severe headaches, reports Reuters.

Women and children, especially teenagers, appear to be the hardest hit. According to the Ministry of Health, most of the dead are between the ages of 15 and 18.

Provincial Deputy Governor Rémy Saki tells AP that a team of epidemiological experts will travel to the area to collect samples and investigate the disease.

p>Last week, the country notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the outbreak, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. The WHO says that the outbreak is “extremely serious” but is countered by the Swedish Public Health Authority, who downplays the risks in an interview with Ekot.

– You should know that both we and international authorities really have their eyes on those here things, and make sure that if there should be an epidemic, you are there quickly and deal with it on the spot, says state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslén to the radio.

At the same time as the authorities are struggling to identify the disease, Congo is also dealing with another ongoing outbreak of monkeypox, which is spreading among gay men even in the Western world.

In 2023, the country reported over 14,000 cases of monkeypox and 650 deaths – the highest figures in the WHO's African region.