An outbreak of a mysterious disease dubbed “Disease X” has killed dozens of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), health authorities have announced.
The country's deputy governor, Remy Psaki, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that up to 143 people had died from the infection.
The deaths occurred between November 10 and November 25 in Panji Health District, Kwango Province, the Associated Press reported this week.
Deadly outbreak of Marburg disease, or “haemorrhagic ocular virus,” prompts travel advisory
Main symptoms include fever, headache, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Most of those affected are children under the age of five.
An outbreak of a mysterious disease dubbed “Disease X” has killed dozens of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), health authorities have announced. (St. Petersburg)
“At the Public Health Emergency Operations Center and INSP [National Institute of Public Health] — This is maximum alert mode — We already have a central level team that leaves and joins within 24 hours. [local] It is a health zone,” INSP Director-General Dr. Dieudonné Mwamba said in French at a press conference on Thursday.
Bird flu surges in multiple U.S. states, reports of new outbreak: 'It's getting worse'
DRC Health Minister Apollinaire Yumba urged residents to take precautions to prevent infection and avoid contact with corpses, according to the Associated Press.
The government has also requested the provision of medical supplies.
“Because the disease is still unknown, medicines and medical supplies are in short supply.”
The first case of Disease X was reportedly reported on October 24, but health authorities were not notified until December 1.
Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news conference Thursday.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“There's almost a five or six week delay and so many things can happen within five or six weeks,” Kaseya said.
“Continuous testing helps us understand what's going wrong.”
The country's deputy governor, Remy Psaki, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that up to 143 people had died from the infection. (St. Petersburg)
Lucien Luhutu, chairman of Kwango Province's Civil Society Consultative Framework in Panji, told The Associated Press that local hospitals are not equipped to treat the influx of sick patients.
“Because the disease is still unknown, medicines and medical supplies are in short supply, and most of the population is treated by traditional practitioners,” he said.
Click here to sign up for our health newsletter
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told FOX News Digital that it is aware of reports of the disease in the southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.
“U.S. government officials, including those from the U.S. CDC country office in Kinshasa, are in contact with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Health and stand ready to provide additional assistance as needed,” the spokesperson said. Ta.
The first case of Disease X was reportedly reported on October 24, but health authorities were not notified until December 1. (St. Petersburg)
Congo is already grappling with ongoing outbreaks of mpox, a viral disease caused by orthopoxviruses. A global state of emergency was declared in August.
Health authorities have reported 200 to 300 confirmed cases of mpox every week in recent weeks, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
For more health articles, visit: www.foxnews.com/health
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Africa CDC and WHO for additional comment.
