Congolese authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday are investigating a mysterious flu-like illness that has killed dozens of people in the southwest of the country over the past two weeks.
The deaths were reported between November 10-25 in the Panzi health zone in Kwango province.
Provincial health minister Apollinaire Yumba told reporters over the weekend that symptoms include fever, headache, cough and anemia.
The deputy governor of the region, Remy Saki, said between 67 and 143 people died, according to the Associated Press on Tuesday.
”A team of epidemiological experts is expected in the region to take samples and identify the problem,” he added.
Yumba advised residents to be careful and refrain from touching the bodies of the dead to avoid contamination.
He called on national and international partners to send medical supplies to deal with the health crisis.
The Congo is already suffering from an outbreak of mpox, with 47,000 suspected cases and 1,000 suspected deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
