DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A man in western Congo succumbed on Thursday to symptoms of hemorrhagic fever, sparking concerns among health officials that an unidentified virus may be at play alongside malaria in a puzzling outbreak that has claimed the lives of numerous individuals. Congolese authorities had initially suspected malaria as the culprit behind the flu-like illness outbreak, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 37 people, with over 80% of patients testing positive for malaria. However, the unexpected death of the man exhibiting hemorrhagic fever, a condition not typically linked with malaria caused by parasites, suggests the involvement of a virus as well.
The man passed away in the remote region of Panzi in Kwango province, where the outbreak has been concentrated, as stated by Ngashi Ngongo, an official from the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This development has led to a hypothesis that the outbreak may be attributed to either “severe malaria in the presence of malnutrition” or “a viral infection occurring against a backdrop of malaria,” Ngongo explained.
Malaria is endemic in the Panzi area, which also grapples with high levels of malnutrition, making the diagnosis of the latest outbreak a complex challenge. As of now, there have been 592 reported cases and 37 confirmed deaths in health facilities, Ngongo disclosed. These figures represent an increase of 65 cases and 5 deaths compared to the previous week. Additionally, 44 deaths documented in communities are currently under investigation.
Among the 51 cases sampled, 86% tested positive for malaria. Further tests for additional diseases are underway at national laboratories and the results are anticipated next week, Ngongo reported. Last week, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, mentioned that most blood samples gathered in the Panzi area were positive for malaria, yet there was a possibility of multiple diseases being involved. He noted that more samples were being collected and analyzed.
The majority of cases and fatalities in Panzi have been among children under 14 years old, according to the WHO. Symptoms reported include fever, headache, cough, and anemia. Expert teams from the WHO and Congo’s National Rapid Response Team visited the area last week to conduct investigations and collect samples.
The Panzi health zone, situated approximately 435 miles (700 kilometers) from the capital, Kinshasa, poses challenges in terms of accessibility. It took the experts two days to reach the area, as per Congo’s health minister. Due to limited local testing capabilities, samples had to be transported over 310 miles (500 kilometers) to Kikwit, as explained by the head of the National Institute for Public Health, Dieudonne Mwamba.
