Kinshasa, Dec 5 (IANS): The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is on 'maximum alert' over the emergence of an unknown disease that has killed more than 70 people, DRC Public Health Minister Roger Kamba said on Thursday.

The minister told a press briefing in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, that a disease "of still unknown origin" reported in the Panzi area of Kwango Province, DRC, which has been described as an "epidemic," has affected 382 people since October. The people have presented symptoms that "are similar to the flu."

So far, 71 deaths have been reported, 27 of them at health facilities and 44 others in local communities, he said, adding that around 300 people have recovered, Xinhua news agency reported.

Apollinaire Yumba, the provincial health minister, was quoted earlier Thursday by local media as saying that 131 deaths have been recorded since November 10 to date.

"We are on maximum alert," said Kamba. "We consider this an epidemic that we must monitor as much as possible."

"We are more or less in the assertion that it is respiratory," he said.

According to Kamba, based on the hypothesis, the emergence of this disease coincides with seasonal flu, which occurs from October to March and peaks in December.

He also outlined the hypothesis of COVID-19, whose mortality rate is lower than that reported in Kwango.

"These are hypotheses pending the results of the sampling," Kamba said, adding that efforts have been hindered by the poor medical and logistical conditions on the ground.

Specialised intervention teams have been sent to the field to identify the nature of the disease, according to the DRC health minister.

"We are still waiting for the first results," he said.