Rising Alarm: CDC Monitors Mystery Flu-Like Illness Killing Dozens in Africa

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A mysterious flu-like illness has emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), claiming dozens of lives, sparking global concerns, and prompting new health measures reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic era. The outbreak has led to the deaths of up to 143 individuals, primarily teenagers, who displayed symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, and difficulty breathing.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged the severity of the situation and is maintaining communication with health officials in the DRC. A CDC source told DailyMail.com: “The CDC is aware of reports of an illness in southwest DRC. US Government staff, including those from US CDC's country office in Kinshasa, are in contact with the DRC's ministry of health and stand ready to provide additional support if needed.”

 

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has mobilized a team to Kwango, the epicenter of the outbreak in southwestern DRC, to collect samples and conduct testing. Health officials, including DRC's health minister Roger Kamba, have placed the country on "maximum alert" as they work to identify the cause of the epidemic.

 

Although testing is underway, results have yet to reveal the origin of the outbreak. The remote location of Kwango has posed challenges for healthcare teams, with some needing two days to reach affected areas. Experts believe the illness could be caused by a respiratory virus, but much remains uncertain.

 

Internationally, the outbreak has triggered cautious responses. Hong Kong has become the first region to implement health checks for travelers arriving from the DRC, reminiscent of Covid-era border controls. There are no direct flights between Kinshasa and the United States, but passengers may still reach the US via connecting flights from hubs such as Johannesburg or Addis Ababa.

 

While officials in the DRC and international agencies strive to pinpoint the illness, epidemiologists warn against premature conclusions. Dr. Annie Rimoin, an expert from the University of California, Los Angeles, who has conducted research in the DRC for over two decades, underscored the complexity of diagnosing diseases in a region grappling with other health challenges like malaria and malnutrition.

 

“I think it’s really important to be aware of what’s happening, and I think it’s also really important not to panic until we have more information,” Dr. Rimoin stated in an interview with NBC News. “It could be anything. It could be influenza, it could be Ebola, it could be measles. At this point, we really just don’t know.”

 

Similarly, Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease expert from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, highlighted the lack of specific details about the outbreak. “It’s difficult to tell what’s causing the outbreak because only general symptoms have been reported,” she explained.

As the situation unfolds, health authorities remain vigilant. With the memory of the Covid-19 pandemic still fresh, global health systems are preparing for potential risks while urging patience until more definitive information is available.

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail 2024-12-07

 

 

 

[jcmj]

They don’t know what it is and they are already trying to scare the public. Hopefully it’s identified soon and they can get it under control. I don’t think the general public is going to worry much about it right now. Considering how the Covid virus was handled I don’t have much faith in the government or so called vaccines. 

[Woke to Sounds]

Monkey pox got no traction, nor did its rebrand "MPox"..... before that it was tomato virus or some such, but that b0mbed, too.

 

DISEASE X .......... from the Congo ...........    a much more menacing and sinister ring to it.  Could gain much needed traction for W-H-O and the vaxxx enterprises.

 

No worries here mate. I've got stock in all the major vaxxxx mixologists...

[Travis179]

More fear porn from the CDC. Just in time for the incoming administration. Hopefully RFK shuts these ghouls down.

[Will B Good]

Is this the "bleeding eyes" disease?.....high fatality rate without prompt treatment.....a virus similar to Ebola.

 

Well let's hope some busybody of a do-gooder doesn't come up with a vaccine to protect us all.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

Is this the "bleeding eyes" disease?.....high fatality rate without prompt treatment.....a virus similar to Ebola.

 

Well let's hope some busybody of a do-gooder doesn't come up with a vaccine to protect us all.

 

   You had the Covid injection and you are considering going back to the UK because of health reasons , I didn't have a the Covid Jab and I am staying in Thailand 

[Will B Good]

Just now, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   You had the Covid injection and you are considering going back to the UK because of health reasons , I didn't have a the Covid Jab and I am staying in Thailand 

 

......and?

[Purdey]

Just in time for the new president to tell everyone to inject Clorox.

[pacovl46]

4 hours ago, jcmj said:

They don’t know what it is and they are already trying to scare the public. Hopefully it’s identified soon and they can get it under control. I don’t think the general public is going to worry much about it right now. Considering how the Covid virus was handled I don’t have much faith in the government or so called vaccines. 

Huh? The one thing they didn’t do with covid is to inform the public early enough! What you think is “scaring the public” is informing them in time of what’s going on. So now you can take your own precautionary measures. 

[GreasyFingers]

40 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

Huh? The one thing they didn’t do with covid is to inform the public early enough! What you think is “scaring the public” is informing them in time of what’s going on. So now you can take your own precautionary measures. 

So you already have a vaccine for it. If you don't Fauci will have one tomorrow.

[PopGun]

The W.H.O. are just looking for an opportunity to flex their political muscle and call for lockdowns and mask mandates.

[JonnyF]

Sounds like Tedros is desperate for some attention. 

[Woke to Sounds]

On 12/7/2024 at 7:57 AM, JonnyF said:

Sounds like Tedros is desperate for some attention. 

Hardest workin' chap in show business, buddy!!

[MicroB]

On 12/7/2024 at 8:26 AM, Will B Good said:

Is this the "bleeding eyes" disease?.....high fatality rate without prompt treatment.....a virus similar to Ebola.

 

Well let's hope some busybody of a do-gooder doesn't come up with a vaccine to protect us all.

 

Years ago, in my professional capacity, I was interviewed by the National Geographic, as they investigated a particular death in Sierra Leone, in the midst of the Ebola epidemic (technically a Pandemic, as it after 3-4 countries in Africa, with cases in Spain and the UK). I have spent many years in CBRN and infectious disease diagnostics.

 

The Ebola virus is one of a number of filoviruses. Tne main symptoms are a flu-like malaise. It causes a hemorrhagic fever, which means it interferes with the clotting action, and internal bleeding as capillaries spring leaks. In the early stages, it is treatable. The symptoms you describe are largely a Hollywood invention. In most cases, the victims pass away in their own <deleted> and piss.

 

One of the issues of the epidemic of 10+ years ago was a lack of diagnostic capacity in the region. Liberia was a complete basket case. Sierra Leone had a reasonable reference lab in the capital, but beyond that, very little.

 

The WHO operated a number of essentially jungle labs; people setting themselves up in sheds, warehouses, with some portable thermocyclers, inflatable glove boxes, but the testing volume was very very limited. 10 years ago, there were no commericially available tests for the Ebola virus.

 

So foreign nations sent specialists in to help. Ebola being Ebola meant that experience was basically military. The UK sent in teams of Royal Engineers to build field hospitals in Sierra leone, but we offered no extra testing capacity to that nation, instead setting up a floating hospital offshore to support UK personnel. The South African Defence Force sent a mobile lab to Sierra Leone, and did a 3 month rotation, whuch was handy as I was able to speak to some of their team about what was going on. The Chinese also sent a mobile military lab to the country, with much fanfare. In Guinea, the EU was represented by French Army and Bundeswehr units, but I believe the Russian Army got people in country.

 

In Liberia, USMC deployed to an abandoned crop research station.  Basically how any of these militaries did the testing was a bit of a secret, but it doesn't take much to suppose what it was. USMC, at the time, had JBAIDS, a portable PCR system, which included Ebola targets. They also got hold of standard commercial thermocyclers, and ported over the Edgewood assays to those. Interestingly, because American civilians  were there, and the history of Liberia, the JBAIDS Ebola assay needed FDA emergency authorisation. That meant they had to publish the test data, including simulant and live agent testing.

 

Because of the completely broken down road network in Liberia, the Marine base needed to be supported by air. Which meant the fuel for the generators had to be airlifted in, every day. This fuel powered the offices, the canteens, the airconditioning, and the labs. At the time, all the reagents  used needed -20 freezing storage. As it was, the might of the US could only manage about 100-150 Ebola tests a day, limited by the amount of storage space they had for reagents. The capacity of the other labs was no better (the South Africans kept really good diaries, and they worked like dogs to test).

 

While about 30,000 cases were detected, with about 50% of them dying, in reality, 70% of Ebola infections were not picked up by the labs. Given the expected positivity test rate, there simply wasn't enough testing capacity in the region.

 

I see they've had a bit of a Marburg outbreak in Uganda. Marburg is named after the German University where German scientists, in the 1970s, discovered the virus, and subsequently died (Soviet agents exhumed some of the bodies to obtain tissue samples, which provided enough material to eaponise Marburg virus). In 2 years, the 2014 ebola outbreak killed about 15,000 people, so about 150 people a week on average.

 

In a few weeks, the mystery infection has killed 135, and 416 cases. A traveller arriving in Italy has been attributed ti having "Congo Disease".  Based on symptoms presenting, ( fever, headache, cough, respiratory difficulties, anemia), the working hypothesis is Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacaterium. Some think this is a bit of a stretch, because the mortality rate is too high for this bug.

 

Whats key is this outbreak is occurring in Panzi, which is very remote. That means deploying the needed specialists is difficult. It also limits the potential for transmission, though with at least one case already in Europe, one has to be vigilant.