Fever In Congo Kills More Than 100

Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak First Noticed Two Weeks Ago By Health Officials

(AP)  More than 100 people have died in a suspected hemorrhagic fever outbreak in a remote part of Congo, local health officials said Wednesday.

People began dying of the suspected fever two weeks ago in the Mweka area of the province of Kasai Occidental, said Jean-Constatin Kanow, the chief medical inspector for the province.

Congo has in the past seen large outbreaks of Marburg and Ebola, both hemorrhagic fevers caused by viruses that in severe cases attack the central nervous system and cause bleeding from the eyes, ears and other parts of the body.

"We began by suspecting typhoid fever, but now we believe its hemorrhagic fever," said Kanow.

The deaths began following the funeral of two village chiefs. "Everyone that attended those funerals is now dead," said the medical inspector.

In all, four villages are affected and 217 people have come down with the illness, including 103 who died. Of the dead, 100 were adults and three were children, said Kanow.

Two medical teams from the province's administrative seat have been sent to Mweka, an area that has a population of 140,000. A third team from the National Institute of Biomedical Research was expected to arrive Wednesday from Kinshasa, the capital, 430 miles northwest of Mweka.

The researchers were planning to take blood samples to be analyzed at laboratories specializing in hemorrhagic fever.

Congo's last major Ebola outbreak struck in Kikwit in 1995, killing 245 people. Kikwit is about 200 miles from the site of the current purported outbreak.

[oakishpines]

'' ... most volunteer to feed the world, some volunteer to tax it

there''s the majority of countys in the world that where folk make less than two dollars each day and the minority where folk make sixty or more dollars each day

most companys and other individuals service dozens or thousands each day for a few pennys or quarters of tips from each of some small percentage of the bunch ... ''

'' ... most traditional get sick tax world authorities most time remind all that most folk most time dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied around the sick beds drifting tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups ... ''

'' ... i''m a good man and i want to save little girls, take the market share tax money armor weapons alcohol and parades away from the girls and give it to me; and, no one will get hurt ... ''

'' ... i was put on this earth to chase naked ignorant kids around for discipline, how bout you ... ''

'' ... if a stealth plane crashed in the woods and no one is around to hear, did more kids grow up afraid of being undisciplined ... ''

[missingamerica]

You thinking about bumping off your wife, oakishpines? You''re sure putting a lot of effort into building the foundation of an insanity defense.