Outbreak of new killer disease in Congo
Pastor Dale Morgan
Outbreak of new killer disease in Congo*
From correspondents in Geneva
September 01, 2007 04:48pm
Article from: Reuters
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is investigating "an
outbreak of an unknown illness with a high mortality rate" in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
"The clinical features in the majority of cases include fever, headache,
diarrhoea or colicky abdominal pain, and vomiting," the United Nations
agency said.
The WHO said it was not clear how many people had died or the total
number afflicted with the illness, though more than half of cases had
involved children under the age of 10.
Experts from the WHO as well as Congo's provincial and national health
services were in the field and had taken clinical samples for laboratory
testing, the WHO said.
It said the cause of the illness was still unknown.
"The national health authorities have taken a precautionary approach and
are implementing measures to improve hygiene, ensure the safety of the
water supply, promote safe burial practices and strengthen infection
control," it said.