Meningitis outbreak kills 5 in Mangi, Tshopo province, DRC
Health officials with the Banalia health zone, Tshopo province in north-central Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) report a meningitis outbreak.
Out of seven cases already recorded in the area, 5 deaths have been reported in the Mangi health center, according to Bolembe Djodjo, supervisor in the health zone.
He noted that the majority of deaths are patients who hide in the community instead of seeking treatment.
The exact etiology has not been reported. Djodjo said:
"We have deposited some medicines and collected samples that were available at the health center. We analyzed these samples this morning before sending them to the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa, via Kisangani. There are indeed cases of deaths reported."
Faced with this situation, local health workers advise the community to always bring people showing symptoms of this disease, to allow them to receive medical care.