Mystery ‘Disease X’ probed after killing 79 people in Congo

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expect to know within days the cause of an infectious disease outbreak termed ‘Disease X’ that’s sickened hundreds of people, killing at least 79, since late October.
Almost 200 of the 376 afflicted with a flu-like illness are younger than five, said Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, and anemia were first reported on October 24 in the Panzi health zone in the southwestern province of Kwango, with national authorities alerted December 1.
“We have a delay of almost five to six weeks, and in five to six weeks so many things can happen,” Kaseya said Thursday on a weekly call with reporters. “Ongoing testing will help us to understand what is the issue.”
The disease emerged at a time of increased influenza circulation, and the culprit is likely to be airborne, said Dieudonné Muamba, director general of the National Public Health Institute. Patient specimens are being analyzed at a national lab in Kinshasa, some 500 kilometers (311 miles) from the outbreak zone.
Tests may be completed within 48 hours, with results released at the weekend, officials said.
Africa CDC is supporting Congolese officials with epidemiologists, laboratory scientists and infection prevention and control experts, Kaseya said, adding that the outbreak highlights challenges detecting diseases across the sprawling nation, where numerous deadly outbreaks occur concurrently.
“This is why we are supporting the country to build strong capacity on surveillance,” he said.