A mysterious new virus – dubbed “Disease X – with horrendous symptoms continues to claim more victims amid concerns of a new pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the alarm following an outbreak of a mysterious disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in October.
Symptoms of the disease resemble the flue “with respiratory distress for some children and for some people who have died,” DRC health minister Samuel Roger Kamba said.
University of Oxford infectious disease expert Jake Dunning previously told media outlets the term “Disease X” should be used in only some circumstances.
Disease X should only really be used when there is an infectious disease with epidemic or pandemic potential and a novel pathogen has been identified or is strongly suspected,” he added.
In the midst of worries about a new pandemic, a mysterious new virus known as “Disease X” with terrible symptoms keeps taking more lives.
Following an October outbreak of an enigmatic disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning. It took a little more than a month for the disease to be acknowledged as a major threat, despite its widespread distribution.
416 patients and 31 fatalities were reported by WHO officials in the first week of December. Numerous cases of undernourished children were also reported.
“With respiratory distress for some children and for some people who have died,” DRC health minister Samuel Roger Kamba stated that the illness causes symptoms similar to those of the flu. The WHO believes the true cause of malaria is unknown, but some tests conducted in the area have shown positive results.
“We will know with the results,” Minister Kamba continued, adding, “whether it is a severe seasonal flu with people on the table who are fragile because of malnutrition, anemia, or other diseases, or is it another germ.”.
Some experts are wary of the virus’s potential cause, even though it is unknown. Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, told the Australian outlet: “Several times a year, reports of outbreaks that result in fatalities appear somewhere in the world. The majority prove to be well-known infections with few worldwide repercussions. “..”.
The term “Disease X” should only be used in specific situations, Jake Dunning, an infectious disease expert from the University of Oxford, previously told media outlets. Only in cases where an infectious disease has the potential to become epidemic or pandemic and a novel pathogen has been found or is highly suspected should Disease X be used, he continued.
“A more accurate statement would be that this is an undiagnosed morbidity and mortality event at this time. The illness is restricted to the Panzi district of Kwango Province, which is roughly 48 hours’ drive from Kinshasa, the provincial capital.
The symptoms are similar to those of influenza, pneumonia, and Vovid-19. Malaria, dengue, and measles are thought to be additional causes. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, stated that efforts are being made to return samples to the capital’s laboratory.
“Of the 12 initial samples collected, 10 tested positive for malaria, though it’s possible that more than one disease is involved,” he stated on Wednesday. Some people think it might be something new, like a human-transmissible variation of the avian flu, but News . com . au found out.
