Unknown disease investigated after dozens of deaths in Congo

kinshasa - Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo expect to identify the cause of the outbreak of an unknown infectious disease within days.

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are investigating an unknown infectious disease that has affected hundreds of people since late October.

Out of the 376 people affected by the flu-like disease, nearly 200 are younger than five years old, according to Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cases of fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, and anemia were first reported on October 24 in the health zone of Panzi, in the southwestern province of Kwango. National authorities were alerted on December 1.

"We have a delay of almost five to six weeks and within five to six weeks, many things can happen," Kaseya told reporters on Thursday. "Continuous testing will help us understand what the problem is."

The disease is likely spreading through the air, said Dieudonné Muamba, director-general of the National Public Health Institute. Samples from patients are being analyzed in a national laboratory in Kinshasa, about 500 kilometers away from the affected area. Tests can be completed within 48 hours and the results will be released over the weekend, officials said.