Two clusters of unknown illness cases kill 50 in Democratic Republic of Congo
More than 50 people have died in recent weeks in two clusters of illness cases with the unknown cause being investigated in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
More than 50 people have died in recent weeks in two clusters of illness cases with the unknown cause being investigated in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
As of Feb. 16, there have been 431 cases and 53 deaths in two outbreaks in remote villages in separate health zones in Equateur province, the WHO said in a bulletin. The country is roughly the size of Western Europe.
“The outbreaks, which have seen cases rise rapidly within days, pose a significant public health threat. The exact cause remains unknown,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told a briefing Tuesday.
The villages have limited surveillance capacity and health infrastructure, he noted.
The larger outbreak, reported on Feb. 13 from Bomate village in Equateur’s Basankusu health zone, has killed 45 people out of 419 cases. Almost half died within 48 hours of falling ill, the WHO said, with symptoms including fever, pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/illness-kill-50-democratic-republic-congo-rcna193788
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