Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has issued warnings to all its offices, urging vigilance regarding an infectious disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has resulted in hundreds of infections and claimed at least 79 lives since late October.
Opas Kankawinpong, the ministry’s permanent secretary, has instructed all health agencies to monitor the movements of people and stay updated on the disease, despite Thailand being considered a low-risk country.
He emphasized that health control stations at borders and airports are crucial, as they serve as the primary defense against the disease entering the kingdom.
To date, Suvarnabhumi Airport has not implemented specific measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport has enhanced its screening processes for all flights arriving from African transit hubs starting Thursday. In Japan, the Foreign Ministry has recommended that people refrain from non-essential travel to the affected area.
Health officials in the DR Congo anticipate determining the cause of the outbreak, dubbed ‘Disease X’, within the next few days.
Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), reported that nearly 200 of the 376 people suffering from a flu-like illness are children under five.
The initial cases, presenting symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing, and anemia, were reported on October 24 in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province, with national authorities being notified the following Sunday.
“We have had a delay of almost five to six weeks, and in that time, so many things can happen,” stated Kaseya. He added that ongoing tests are crucial for understanding the nature of the disease.
Dieudonne Muamba, director-general of the National Public Health Institute, noted that the disease surfaced during a period of heightened influenza activity and is likely airborne.
Samples from patients are currently being analyzed at a national laboratory in Kinshasa, 500 kilometers from the outbreak site.
Officials expect to complete the tests within 48 hours and plan to release the results over the weekend.
This outbreak has reignited fears of a new, globally transmissible pathogen emerging, reminiscent of the challenges posed by Covid-19, which led to worldwide border closures and significantly disrupted economic and social activities.
Earlier in the year, the World Health Organization declared a new strain of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern, although its spread outside Africa has been limited.
