The World Health Organization said on Friday that it is deploying experts to support health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate an as-yet-undiagnosed disease linked to multiple deaths in a remote area of the country.
WHO experts are on their way to the Panzi district in the country’s southwestern Kwangju province, where they will provide essential medicines and diagnostic equipment to help analyze the cause of the disease.
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The World Health Organization said laboratory tests are being conducted to determine the cause, adding that it will share more information once it is available.
“Our priority is to provide effective support to affected families and communities,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
She added: “Every effort is being made to determine the cause of the disease, understand its transmission methods, and ensure an appropriate response as quickly as possible.”
The World Health Organization said 394 cases and 30 deaths have been reported so far in the Panzi health zone, citing data from the Ministry of Public Health.
Earlier this week, local authorities said an unknown disease killed 143 people in the region in November.
Symptoms of the disease include headache, cough, fever, breathing difficulties and anemia, according to the World Health Organization.
—Reporting by Rachel Moore, Editing by Thomas Seethall
