KINSHASA: A mysterious ‘Disease X’ is spreading in a remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Experts say it could be a known disease – but which one? And can it be treated?
It’s almost impossible to treat a disease like Disease
Read more: Local authorities say the unidentified disease has killed 143 people in Congo
To date, the DRC has recorded 406 cases of undiagnosed disease. Serious cases have been reported in people with severe malnutrition, including 31 deaths, mostly in children.
The spread of this disease is currently concentrated in Panzi district in Kwango province, about 700 km from the capital Kinshasa. Panzi district is located in a remote area, with difficult roads and almost no medical infrastructure.
Health officials say the disease is most likely a known illness rather than something completely new. But they still don’t know which one.
“Reports of fatal outbreaks appear elsewhere in the world several times a year. Almost all were a widely known infection with limited consequences worldwide, Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, UK, said in a press release. bridge.
What is the most likely cause of the disease outbreak?
Jake Dunning, an infectious disease expert at Oxford University in England, said calling the incident a Disease X outbreak could be misleading and counterproductive.
“Disease X should only really be used when there is an infectious disease with epidemic or pandemic potential and a new pathogen has been identified or is seriously suspected. It would be more appropriate to say that, at present, this is an undiagnosed case of morbidity and mortality,” Dunning told DW by email.
The undiagnosed disease causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, cough and anemia.
That is why the World Health Organization (WHO) also believes that this unknown disease most likely originated from known causes.
Based on symptoms, acute pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, measles and malaria are being considered as possible causes.
But it could also be a combination of diseases causing the outbreak, including other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, as well as malaria.
“Malaria is a common disease in the region and may cause or contribute to cases,” WHO reported on December 8.
Hunter said the illness could be a respiratory infection. Since some patients reported this as a symptom of anemia, Hunter suggested bacteria Mycoplasma pneumonia could be the culprit.
“But it is too early to make a definitive diagnosis until further analyzes are reported,” Hunter said.
Africa CDC investigates cause with local authorities, WHO
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has deployed a multidisciplinary team of scientific and medical experts to support the ongoing investigation by WHO and the DRC Ministry of Health.
“Laboratory tests are being conducted to determine the exact cause,” WHO said.
Meanwhile, they are conducting diagnostic tests and implementing disease control measures on the basis that many diseases are responsible for the infections.
However, they may have difficulty detecting the cause because of the remoteness of the affected area and logistical barriers.
Limited internet and mobile phone coverage across the region has hampered the deployment of response teams. It is a two-day drive from the nearest major healthcare center in Kinshasa due to the rainy season affecting the roads.
Why is this disease so mysterious?
Health experts believe the cause of the outbreak remains unknown due to limited testing capabilities in the area.
Clinical laboratories in Panzi district can only test for common pathogens. Detection of rarer pathogens often requires sending samples to specialized laboratories. Scientists there use techniques not available in remote areas, such as genetic sequencing, to find out which pathogens cause the disease to spread.
For the DRC, this could mean samples being sent abroad for testing, increasing delays.
“The DRC has some good clinicians, scientists and laboratories, all of whom are well versed in emerging outbreaks and infections, but the DRC is a large country and is well known,” Dunning told DW. It is said that there are still limited resources and a complex environment.
The lack of information about the disease makes it difficult for local health authorities to accurately assess the threat they face.
International health care teams are investigating so-called transmission dynamics and actively looking for additional cases, both in health care settings and at the community level.
“It is important that these cases are investigated promptly so that appropriate control and treatment measures can be implemented,” Hunter said.
Kwango Deputy Governor Remy Saki told DW on December 8 that the province has taken measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
Read more: PFA culled 2,000 diseased chickens during Rawalpindi crackdown
Measures include restricting the movement of people and registering the entry and exit of people from surrounding villages, as well as wearing masks.