Strange disease outbreak in Congo, Vietnam Ministry of Health closely monitoring

An outbreak of unknown cause is causing concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with hundreds of people infected. Vietnam has been closely monitoring the situation, while other countries around the world have also stepped up preventive measures.

According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), in the Panzi area of Kwango province, Democratic Republic of Congo, 406 cases of an unknown disease have been recorded, of which 31 are severe. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, cough, runny nose and muscle pain. Particularly worrying is that children under 5 years old account for a large proportion of cases and infections.

In the face of the complex developments of the epidemic, the Vietnam General Department of Preventive Medicine has been proactively conducting event-based surveillance with information on the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This agency is closely coordinating with the World Health Organization and international partners to update the latest information on the epidemic.

Mr. Hoang Minh Duc, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, said: "We will continue to monitor and closely follow the developments of the epidemic situation; when there are new developments, we will coordinate to assess the risks and propose appropriate responses."

Initial analysis suggested that the mysterious disease spreading in Congo could be malaria. However, detailed testing of 12 samples showed that 10 were positive for the malaria virus, while the possibility of other diseases being involved could not be ruled out.

The World Health Organization is continuing to investigate and gather more information to determine the exact cause of the disease.

In the face of the complicated developments of the epidemic, some countries have strengthened health control measures. Hong Kong (China) has applied strict health checks on passengers from Africa, especially flights transiting through South Africa and Ethiopia.

Passengers from Congo often travel to Hong Kong via flights that connect through South Africa and Ethiopia. Local authorities have advised residents and visitors to report any unwellness. Those planning to travel to Congo should also maintain personal hygiene, avoid crowded places and avoid contact with sick people.

Regarding the mysterious epidemic in Congo, it is known that the area where the epidemic is occurring is a rural area, in a remote province far from the capital Kinshasa (48 hours by road). This area has also experienced food shortages in recent months; poor medical conditions, low vaccination rates, and very limited access to diagnosis and case management.

In this worrying situation, a serious incident has just been officially acknowledged by the Queensland government, Australia: 323 vials of dangerous live virus samples have been lost from a biosafety laboratory since 2021. All three types of viruses that have been lost are dangerous and pose a potential risk.

Specifically: Hendra virus mainly infects horses but can also be transmitted to humans, with an estimated rate of about 57%. The virus was first discovered in 1994 after an outbreak of both horses and humans in Hendra, Brisbane.

Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans through contact with the feces, urine, or saliva of infected rodents. Worryingly, some strains of Hantavirus can cause up to 15% of infections, up to 100 times more than COVID-19, while others are as severe as COVID-19.

Finally, Lyssavirus is similar to the rabies virus, causing severe encephalitis and often leading to death.

The incident has raised concerns about the potential risk to public health. The public has expressed concern about the risk of infection and requested the government to disclose information transparently and take timely measures to ensure public safety.

Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls has been briefed on the incident and pledged to investigate the cause and strengthen safety measures at laboratories.

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