Congo, WHO investigate mysterious illness cluster as death toll reaches 60

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO), are investigating a new cluster of illnesses and community deaths in Equateur Province, where a total of 1,096 people have fallen ill and 60 have died. 

The latest outbreak occurred in the Basankusu health zone of Equateur Province, where 141 additional cases were reported last week, though no deaths have been recorded in this group.

Earlier in February, the same region saw 158 cases and 58 deaths. In January, the Bolomba health zone of the same province reported 12 cases, including eight deaths, according to a WHO statement on Thursday.

The WHO reported that enhanced disease surveillance has uncovered 1,096 cases of illness and 60 fatalities in Basankusu and Bolomba. Affected individuals have displayed symptoms including fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, stiff neck, cough, vomiting, diarrhoea, and, in some instances, nosebleeds.

A national rapid response team, including WHO emergency experts, has been deployed to the affected regions to investigate potential causes and provide urgent medical assistance, Xinhua news agency reported.

Initial laboratory testing has ruled out Ebola and Marburg virus, while around half of the samples tested positive for malaria. Further analysis is ongoing for other possible infections, such as meningitis, as well as potential environmental contamination, according to the WHO.

Challenges such as poor infrastructure and limited healthcare access in the remote areas of Basankusu and Bolomba continue to hinder response efforts.

In late 2024, the DRC's southwestern province of Kwango was also hit by a "mysterious disease," later identified as severe malaria aggravated by malnutrition. A government report issued in January 2025 recorded 2,774 cases and 77 deaths.

The outbreak comes as the DRC grapples with multiple health crises, further straining its healthcare system.

Meanwhile, escalating armed conflict in the DRC's North Kivu and South Kivu provinces has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation. Reports indicate looting, attacks on aid workers, and road blockages, severely disrupting relief efforts.

(With IANS inputs)