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The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with an outbreak of a deadly, unidentified illness known as “Disease X,” which has infected over 400 people and claimed at least 143 lives, mostly children, since October.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed a rapid response team to investigate the disease, but efforts are hindered by the remote location of the outbreak in Kwango province. Poor infrastructure and heavy rains make accessing the region a challenging two-day journey.
Complicating matters further, most severe cases involve patients suffering from severe malnutrition, making it harder to pinpoint the disease’s source. “Limited diagnostic capabilities in the region have slowed progress in identifying the underlying cause,” the WHO stated.
Currently, teams are collecting samples for laboratory analysis, studying the symptoms, and tracking how the disease spreads. Symptoms include fever, cough, headache, body aches, runny nose, breathing difficulties, and anemia, according to the DRC’s Ministry of Health.
Initial assessments suggest that multiple diseases, such as pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, measles, and malaria—common in the region—may be contributing to the fatalities. The WHO and local authorities also suspect Disease X could be airborne, but its mode of transmission remains unclear.
The Ministry of Health reported the outbreak to the WHO on November 29, and more than 100 new cases have been identified since then. While WHO data confirms 31 fatalities, local officials estimate the death toll to be closer to 143.
The majority of those affected are children under five years old. The international health community is racing against time to contain the outbreak and identify the exact cause of this mysterious illness
