On Friday, December 6, 2024, the United Nations (UN) confirmed the emergence of this unknown epidemic in the DRC.
Authorities have recorded nearly 80 fatalities out of 376 reported cases, with the first infections traced back to late October. The outbreak has been most severe in Panzi and Kwango, located approximately 700 kilometers southwest of Kinshasa.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Rwanda's Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente, emphasized the country's vigilance.
"The Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre [RBC] are monitoring the situation daily. We are committed to safeguarding the lives of Rwandans. Together, we have successfully managed outbreaks such as COVID-19, Monkeypox, and Marburg. While we cannot rule out the possibility of the disease reaching Rwanda, we are prepared to respond as we did in the past," he said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified key symptoms of the disease, including headache, cough, fever, breathing difficulties, and anemia. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown pending laboratory test results.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-closely-monitoring-unknown-disease-reported-in-drc
