A wave of illnesses in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dubbed “Disease X”, is entirely due to known pathogens, international health experts say.
The Geneva-based organization said yesterday, Friday, that malaria, influenza, rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and other known viruses were found in 430 laboratory samples taken from patients in the region.
It is noteworthy that hundreds of people have fallen ill since the end of October, in the Panzi area of Kwangju Province, southwest of the country.
The infected people showed flu-like symptoms, including fever, colds, headache, limb pain, and difficulty breathing. The World Health Organization announced the death of 48 people, while local authorities said that more than 130 people had died.
After conducting a comprehensive investigation, the WHO team said that its findings “suggest that a combination of common and seasonal viral respiratory infections and falciparum malaria, in addition to severe malnutrition, has led to an increase in severe infections and deaths, disproportionately affecting Children under five years of age.