Suspicion of Poisoning in Mysterious Illness in DR Congo, According to WHO

In a troubling development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that poisoning is suspected in a perplexing outbreak of illness affecting western regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This warning highlights the ongoing public health challenges faced by the nation, which has endured various outbreaks, including mpox, amid ongoing violence in its eastern provinces.

Since the beginning of the year, nearly 1,100 cases and approximately 60 fatalities have been recorded in the Equateur province, with symptoms manifesting as fever, headaches, joint pain, and general body discomfort. Mike Ryan, the WHO's emergencies director, confirmed that investigations are currently underway. Preliminary tests have ruled out hemorrhagic fevers such as Marburg and Ebola as potential causes of the outbreak.

Ryan stated, "The current evidence suggests a toxic event, potentially linked to biological factors like meningitis or chemical exposure." Local health authorities have raised significant concerns about a possible poisoning incident associated with a contaminated water source in a village.

Earlier this month, the WHO reported 158 cases and 58 deaths in the Basankusu zone of Equateur, with an additional 141 individuals falling ill last week, although no new deaths were reported during that period. In the adjacent Bolamba zone, 12 cases were identified last month, resulting in eight fatalities.

In a previous incident in late 2023, unexplained deaths in southwestern DRC were ultimately attributed to malaria and common respiratory infections exacerbated by malnutrition. Ryan emphasized the ongoing health crisis in the DRC, noting the significant mortality and morbidity rates driven by multiple health threats within a vulnerable population.

"The global response seems to intensify only when there is a perceived risk of a wider epidemic," Ryan lamented. "Once it becomes clear that the threat is not a new, Earth-altering virus, global interest tends to wane."

Adding to the complexity of the situation, armed groups allegedly supported by Rwanda have taken control of several towns in eastern DRC, further complicating the region's health crisis. This area was where the dangerous clade 1b variant of mpox emerged in 2023, raising alarm about the potential for future outbreaks.