WHO dispatches specialists to assist Congo in identifying a mysterious illness

On Friday, the World Health Organization said that it is sending specialists to assist health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in their investigation of an unidentified illness that has been connected to several fatalities in a remote region of the nation.

The WHO specialists are their route to Panzi, a community in the southwest Kwango province, where they will provide diagnostic tools and necessary medications to aid in determining the illness’s source.

The WHO stated that laboratory tests are being carried out to identify the reason and that it will provide additional details as soon as they became available.

“Effectively supporting the impacted families and communities is our top priority,” stated Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s regional director for Africa.

“All efforts are underway to identify the cause of the illness, understand its modes of transmission and ensure appropriate response as swiftly as possible,” she stated.
According to the WHO, which cited data from the Ministry of Public Health, there have been 394 cases and 30 fatalities documented in the Panzi health zone thus far.

Local officials reported earlier this week that 143 people in the area had died in November from an unidentified sickness.

According to the WHO, the sickness manifests as headache, cough, fever, dyspnea, and anemia.