Haemorrhagic fever kills more than 100
More than 100 people have died in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the result of a suspected haemorrhagic fever epidemic, local health officials said today.
People began dying of the suspected fever two weeks ago near Mweka, an area in the province of Kasai Occidental, said Jean-Constatin Kanow, the chief medical inspector for the province.
The DRC has in the past seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola, both haemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that in severe cases attack the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and other parts of the body.
“We began by suspecting Typhoid fever, but now we believe its haemorrhagic fever,” said Kanow.
The deaths began following the funeral of two village chiefs.
“Everyone that attended those funerals is now dead,” said the medical inspector.
According to Kanow, haemorrhagic fever is transmitted by contact with an infected person.
In all, four villages are affected and 217 people have come down with the illness.
Of the 103 recorded deaths, 100 were adults and three were children, said Kanow.
