World health authorities have raised the alarm over an undiagnosed illness that has killed 79 people, mostly children, in the Democratic Republic of Congo since late October, with experts rushing to identify its cause.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 406 cases of the mysterious disease between late October and December 5, with children accounting for 64% of the deaths.
The outbreak has prompted increased surveillance from European health authorities and enhanced border controls in some EU countries.
Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and muscle pain, with severe cases primarily affecting malnourished individuals.
The WHO said 96.5% of patients presented with fever, 87.9% with cough, 60.9% with fatigue, and 57.8% with nasal discharge.
Italian public health professor Giovanni Rezza suggested the disease bears some resemblance to hemorrhagic fever but with distinct symptoms.
WHO experts have been deployed to the rural, remote affected region to collect samples, investigate transmission patterns, and assist with patient care.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is monitoring the situation closely, though no cases have been reported outside Congo.
Italy has increased entry point checks, becoming the first EU country to implement such measures.
The WHO said it would provide updates as more information becomes available.
Experts are working to rule out other prevalent infections in the region before isolating the cause, including the possibility of a new variant of a known infection.
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