A mysterious disease, called “disease X,” has killed dozens of people in the Congo, the WHO said

A rare disease, which the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “disease X,” has killed at least 31 people – most of them children – in the remote Panzi region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said.

The WHO said on Sunday that 406 cases of the disease were recorded in Kwango Province, about 435 kilometers southeast of the capital Kinshasa. More than half of those who died were children under the age of 5 who were malnourished, health officials said.

The actual number of people who have died in this region is difficult to say, and some reports say that 143 people have died. A team of scientists from the World Health Organization is investigating the disease which researchers believe started spreading in October.

The Ministry of Public Health in the DRC sent an alert to the WHO on October 29 saying it is concerned about a mysterious disease that has caused an “increasing” number of deaths in the Panzi health district, according to the WHO. The Ministry said in a press conference on December 5 that the death rate is estimated at 8% and that it was reported that many people died outside of health facilities.

The death toll in the community is worrisome, local health officials told CBS News, and the WHO said an investigation is needed.

Doctors say the disease manifests itself as a respiratory disease, where people suffer from fever, headache, cough, runny nose and body aches. The WHO said rapid response teams have been sent to identify the cause of the outbreak and help coordinate an appropriate response.

“Teams collect samples for laboratory testing, provide extensive clinical information on detected cases, investigate the potential for transmission and actively search for additional cases, at health facilities and at the community level,” WHO said in a statement on Sunday. .

“Given the clinical presentation and symptoms reported, as well as the associated high mortality, pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, measles and malaria are considered to be the cause of malnutrition as a contributing factor,” WHO said. “Malaria is a common disease in this area, and it may be causing or contributing to these cases.”

The location of the outbreak is remote, about 48 hours by road from the capital Kinshasa. The rainy season, which brings with it an influx of malaria cases, complicates the situation, WHO said. There is also no functioning laboratory in the region, and communication infrastructure is limited. The area is at risk of attack by armed groups, WHO said.

Experts have warned of the risk of further spread of the disease and they have not ruled out that it is airborne. The WHO said the global risk remains low, but due to the closeness of the border with Angola, there are concerns about cross-border transmission.