WHO sends experts to help Congo diagnose mystery disease

The World Health Organization said on Friday it is deploying experts to support health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate an as-yet undiagnosed disease in a remote area of the country.

The WHO experts are on their way to Panzi, a locality in the southwestern Kwango province, where they will deliver essential medicines and diagnostic kits to help analyse the cause of the illness, which local authorities said killed 143 people in November.

Laboratory tests are being conducted to determine the cause, the WHO said, adding that it would share more information as soon as it was available.