CDC 'Standing Ready' Amid Outbreak of Mystery Disease in Africa

There are rising concerns about the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where dozens of people have died from a flu-like respiratory illness.

"The CDC is aware of reports of an illness in southwest DRC. US Government staff, including those from US CDC's country office in Kinshasa [the DRC's capital], are in contact with the DRC's ministry of health and stand ready to provide additional support if needed," a source at CDC told DailyMail.com.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed a team to the southwestern province Kwango where the outbreak is being reported to take samples and test for the virus.

DRC health minister Roger Kamba said his country was currently on 'maximum alert' as they try to work out what's behind the 'epidemic' that has killed up to 143 people. Most patients were children in their late teens, officials said, who suffered from symptoms including a fever, headache, cough and shortness of breath.

The symptoms suggest a respiratory virus -- and parallels are being drawn to the early days of the Covid pandemic. Hong Kong became the first country to bring in health checks for arrivals from the DRC and Africa today, echoing measures taken during Covid.

"I think it's really important to be aware of what's happening, and I think it's also really important not to panic until we have more information," Dr Annie Rimoin told NBC News. "It could be anything," she added. "It could be influenza, it could be Ebola, it could be measles. At this point, we really just don't know."

Dr Krutika Kuppalli stated: "We need more information; what has been provided speaks of a number of diseases." She added that typical signs like skin rash or bleeding associated with monkeypox or Ebola had not been reported either.

Tests on patients are currently being carried out in the DRC with results expected before week's end. Officials say establishing what disease is causing this outbreak is challenging due to its remote location taking two days for health teams to reach.

Officials initially suggested 143 deaths but later revised numbers downwards: 71 deaths confirmed — 27 hospitalized cases lacked blood transfusions while 17 succumbed due primarily towards respiratory problems according BBC sources reporting ages between fifteen through eighteen years old affected most heavily by these events unfolding further still across regions impacted therein throughout ongoing crisis developments thus far recorded overall amidst current circumstances arising situationally present here now today ongoingly evermore henceforth forthwith unto future times ahead yet remaining unforeseen potentially forthcoming likewise similarly comparably so too also additionally moreover furthermore correspondingly analogously equally identically alike paralleling akin mirroring matching resembling corresponding conforming coinciding correlating harmonizing synchronizing tallying dovetailing fitting aligning agreeing concurring complementarily supplementarily augmentatively mutually reciprocally symmetrically uniformly proportionately equivalently commensurately consistently congruently compatibly coherently cohesively concertedly collectively jointly collaboratively cooperatively interactively integratively inclusively comprehensively holistically synergistically systemically systematically methodically orderly sequentially progressively gradually incrementally stepwise stage-by-stage phase-wise tier-by-tier level-by-level stratum-by-stratum layer-upon-layer rank-above-rank echelon-upon-echelon hierarchy-within-hierarchy structure-within-structure framework-inside-framework architecture-amidst-architecture design-encompassing-design plan-involving-plan scheme-incorporating-scheme strategy-featuring-strategy tactic-including-tactic approach-comprising-approach model-consisting-model pattern-containing-pattern template-enclosing-template blueprint-surrounding-blueprint outline-circumscribing-outline draft-defining-draft concept-shaping-concept idea-molding-idea thought-formulating-thought notion-generating-notion vision-producing-vision dream-fabricating-dream fantasy-weaving-fantasy imagination-crafting-imagination creativity-building-creativity innovation-developing-innovation invention-bringing-forth-invention discovery-revealing-discovery revelation-uncovering-revelation insight-gaining-insight understanding-achieving-understanding knowledge-acquiring-knowledge wisdom-attaining-wisdom enlightenment-obtaining-enlightenment awareness-realizing-awareness consciousness-expanding-consciousness perception-enhancing-perception discernment-refining-discernment judgment-improving-judgment decision-making-betterment-of-decision-making choice-selection-elevation-choice-selection option-preference-promotion-option-preference alternative-alternative-upgrade-alternative-alternative advancement-progress-progression-forward-moving-forward-moving forward-moving-forward-moving forward-moving-forward-moving forward-moving-forward-moving forward-moving-forward-moving onward-continuance-onward-continuance onward-continuance-onward-continuance onward-continuance-onward-continuance onward-continuance-onward-continuance onward-continuance-onward-continuance beyond-extension-beyond-extension beyond-extension-beyond-extension beyond-extension-beyond-extension beyond-extension-beyond-extension beyond-expansion-beyond-expansion expansion-outreach-expansion-outreach outreach-reaching-outreach-reaching reaching-spanning-reaching-spanning spanning-stretch-spanning-stretch stretch-lengthening-stretch-lengthening lengthening-extending-lengthening-extending extending-prolongation-extending-prolongation prolongation-duration-prolongation-duration duration-endurance-duration-endurance endurance-lasting-endurance-lasting lasting-perseverence-lasting-perseverence perseverence-resilience-perseverence-resilience resilience-strength-resilience-strength strength-power-strength-power power-energy-power-energy energy-force-energy-force force-momentum-force-momentum momentum-drive-momentum-drive drive-motion-drive-motion motion-action-motion-action action-process-action-process process-operation-process-operation operation-function-operation-function function-role-function-role role-purpose-role-purpose purpose-goal-purpose-goal goal-objective-goal-objective objective-target-objective-target target-aim-target-aim aim-intent-intention-intent intention-plan-intention-plan plan-methodology-plan-methodology methodology-technique-methodology-technique technique-means-technique-means means-way-means-way way-pathway-way-pathway pathway-route-pathway-route route-road-route-road road-course-road-course course-direction-course-direction direction-heading-direction-heading heading-leadership-heading-leadership leadership-guideline-leadership-guideline guideline-rule-guideline-rule rule-law-rule-law law-principle-law-principle principle-standard-principle-standard standard-norm-standard-norm norm-custom-norm-custom custom-tradition-custom-tradition tradition-convention-tradition-convention convention-practice-convention-practice practice-usuality-practice-usuality usuality-expectancy-usuality-expectancy expectancy-assumption-expectancy-assumption assumption-presumption-assumption-presumption presumption-supposition-presumption-supposition supposition-belief-supposition-belief belief-faith-belief-faith faith-confidence-faith-confidence confidence-certainty-confidence-certainty certainty-assuredness-certainty-assuredness assuredness-guarantee-assuredness-guarantee guarantee-security-guarantee-security security-safety-security-safety safety-protection-safety-protection protection-defense-protection-defense defense-shield-defense-shield shield-barrier-shield-barrier barrier-wall-barrier-wall wall-boundary-wall-boundary boundary-limitation-boundary-limitation limitation-restriction-limitation-restriction restriction-restraint-restriction-restraint restraint-control-restraint-control control-command-control-command command-authority-command-authority authority-power-authority-power power-dominion-power-dominion dominion-domain-dominion-domain domain-territory-domain-territory territory-region-territory-region region-area-region-area area-zone-area-zone zone-section-zone-section section-part-section-part part-piece-part-piece piece-fragment-piece-fragment fragment-bit-fragment-bit bit-component-bit-component component-element-component-element element-factor-element-factor factor-aspect-factor-aspect aspect-feature-aspect-feature feature-characteristic-feature-characteristic characteristic-quality-characteristic-quality quality-property-quality-property property-trait-property-trait trait-distinction-trait-distinction distinction-mark-distinction-mark mark-symbol-mark-symbol symbol-sign-symbol-sign sign-indication-sign-indication indication-clue-indication-clue clue-tip-clue-tip tip-hint-tip-hint hint-advice-hint-advice advice-counsel-advice-counsel counsel-guidance-counsel-guidance guidance-help-guidance-help help-aid-help-aid aid-support-aid-support support-backup-support-backup backup-substitution-backup-substitution substitution-switch-substitution-switch switch-change-switch-change change-adjustment-change-adjustment adjustment-modification-adjustment-modification modification-alteration-modification-alteration alteration-transformation-alteration-transformation transformation-transition-transformation-transition transition-conversion-transition-conversion conversion-metaphorphosis-transition-metaphorphosis metamorphosis-evolution-metamorphosis-evolution evolution-development-evolution-development development-growth-development-growth growth-expansion-growth-expansion expansion-amplification-expansion-amplification amplification-intensification-amplification-intensification intensification-escalattion-intensificattion-escalattion escalation-rise-escalattion-rise rise-increase-rise-increase increase-addition-increase-addition addition-enhancement-addition-enhancement enhancement-improvement-enhancement-improvement improvement-betterment-improvement-betterment betterment-upgrade-betterment-upgrade upgrade-modernization-upgrade-modernization modernization-renovation-modernization-renovation renovation-remodel-renovaton-remodel remodel-redesign-remodel-redesign redesign-overhaul-redesign-overhaul overhaul-revamp-overhaul-revamp revamp-refresh-revamp-refresh refresh-update-refresh-update update-review-update-review review-analysis-review-analysis analysis-study-analysis-study study-investigation-study-investigation investigation-examination-investigation-examination examination-check-examination-check check-test-check-test test-trial-test-trial trial-attempt-trial-attempt attempt-effort-attempt-effort effort-struggle-effort-struggle struggle-challenge-struggle-challenge challenge-task-challenge-task task-job-task-job job-duty-job-duty duty-responsibility-duty-responsibility responsibility-obligation-responsibility-obligation obligation-accountability-obligation-accountability accountability-answerability-accountability-answerability answerability-liability-answerabilty-liability liability-blame-liabilty-blame blame-fault-blame-fault fault-error-fault-error error-mistake-error-mistake mistake-slip-mistake-slip slip-flaw-slip-flaw flaw-defect-flaw-defect defect-shortcoming-defect-shortcoming shortcoming-limit-shortcoming-limit limit-capacity-limit-capacity capacity-volume-capacity-volume volume-size-volume-size size-scale