Health officials issue dire warning as mysterious flu-like illness kills 143 | 4 Dec 2024 | People are being urged to avoid "mass gatherings" in the Congolese province at the center of the mystery disease outbreak that has killed up to 143 people. The country's health ministry also warned people to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and not to touch dead bodies. A total of 376 people have been sickened in the outbreak, that has hit Kwango province in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In response, the ministry has sent a team of health workers to treat sick people and test samples in order to identify the potential disease behind the outbreak. The World Health Organization has also been alerted over the outbreak and has sent a team to the area to investigate the illness.