Kasai-Occidental, DRC: Unknown hemorrhagic illness near Mweka - 170 cases, 10 deaths

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Hat-tip Pathfinder.

http://radiookapi.net/regions/2012/...personnes-mortes-dune-maladie-inconnue-mweka/

Kasai-Occidental: 10 people died from an unknown disease to Mweka
October 16, 2012, | Last update October 16, 2012 at 3:16 |

More than ten people have died of an unknown illness during the last two weeks post status Lubanga over 70 kilometers from the city of Mweka in the province of Kasai Occidental. The leader of this item indicates that one hundred and seventy cases of this disease were recorded during the same period.
The head doctor Mweka health zone, Dr. Honoré Lukunku indicates that these people have symptoms of fever and vomiting blood. He says he has sampled with the edge means that he sent to the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) to Kinshasa.

The epidemiologist of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Kananga, confirmed this information.

 

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Re: Kasai-Occidental, DRC: Unknown hemorrhagic illness near Mweka - 170 cases, 10 deaths

There have been two Ebola outbreaks at Mweka since 2007:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89268 (late 2008)
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34067 (2007)

so that might be the obvious suspect, and the reason I posted this thread where I did.

But with only 10 fatalities in 170 cases reported, this might be something else, or other illnesses might be getting counted as well. The CFR in the current outbreak seems a bit low for Ebola, and 170 Ebola cases in two weeks is a bit much for the start of an outbreak.

This is quite some distance from the ongoing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in Orientale:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=471572#post471572

 

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Re: Kasai-Occidental, DRC: Unknown hemorrhagic illness near Mweka - 170 cases, 10 deaths

ProMED's translation of the inital article, along with moderator comments:

Published Date: 2012-10-18 20:47:47
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed fatalities - Congo DR: (KO) RFI
Archive Number: 20121018.1351122

UNDIAGNOSED FATALITIES - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO: (KASAI OCCIDENTAL), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: 16 Oct 2012
Source: Radio Okapi [trans Mod.MPP, edited]
http://radiookapi.net/regions/2012/...personnes-mortes-dune-maladie-inconnue-mweka/


More than 10 people have died of an unknown illness during the last 2 weeks at the state post of Lubanga, over 70 km from the city of Mweka in the province of Kasai Occidental. The chief of the state zone indicated that 170 cases of this disease were reported during the same period.

The head doctor of the Mweka health zone, Dr. Honore Lukunku, indicated that the cases presented with symptoms of fever and vomiting blood. He said he sent specimens to the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa.

The epidemiologist of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Kananga confirmed this information.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-FRA


[The brief description of the illness in the above newswire report suggests this may be an outbreak of one of the viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF). Noteworthy is the relatively low reported case fatality rate (less than 6 percent) along with "170 cases in 2 weeks" that makes the known viral hemorrhagic diseases such as Ebola virus disease seem less likely, as the VHFs tend to be reported when there are fewer cases and more fatalities. It is noteworthy that Kasai Occidental is to the southwest of Oriental province where there is currently an ongoing outbreak of Ebola virus disease, one of the known hemorrhagic fevers to occur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In 2008/2009, there was an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Mweka, and in 2007, there was an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kampungu zone to the southeast of Mweka. In March 2010, there was an as yet undiagnosed outbreak of a hemorrhagic fever in Kasai Orientale province, in Kitule Health Zone. Information on the etiology of that outbreak is as yet unknown to ProMED-mail. But equally interesting is that in September 2012, the etiology of another undiagnosed viral hemorrhagic fever outbreak in 2009 in Bas Congo province of the DRC was finally identified as a novel rhabdovirus, newly named "Bas Congo virus" (see ProMED prior posts Bas-Congo virus - Congo DR: (BC), viral hemorrhagic fever, 2009, RFI 20120928.1314067 and Undiagnosed fatalities - Congo DR: (BC), hem fever susp, RFI 20090626.2326 for the original report). Kasai Occidental province is to the east of Bas-Congo Province. (see map of the DRC with provinces at http://www.mapsofworld.com/democrat...emocratic-republic-of-congo-political-map.jpg.

More information on the clinical presentations of the cases, results of epidemiologic investigations, and, when available, laboratory studies would be greatly appreciated by ProMED-mail. - Mod.MPP]