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WHO testing for 1st African H1N1 case in Congo

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-22 23:40

KINSHASA -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) is testing two suspected cases of H1N1 flu in Democratic Republic of Congo, the WHO's representative in the central African country said on Friday.

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If H1N1 is confirmed, they would be the first cases of the new virus in Africa, where poorly funded health services are already struggling to cope with deadly illnesses such a malaria and typhoid.

One suspected victim works at Freeport-McMoRan's Tenke Fungurume in Katanga province, one of Congo's biggest mining projects.

"The suspected case from Katanga, it must be said clearly, is a strongly suspected case because this is a Chilean citizen who travelled from the American continent," the WHO's Matthieu Kamwa told journalists.

"He flew on a plane from a region where we have had confirmed cases and it is believed that a confirmed case was a co-passenger," he said.

The second case was a patient in the eastern city of Goma, who had not travelled outside Congo.

The latest WHO figures show the strain has infected 11,000 people in 42 countries, killing 86 of them.

Earlier on Friday, WHO chief Margaret Chan said in Geneva that countries should be ready for more serious H1N1 infections, and more deaths from the virus.