Dinga Dinga virus: A mysterious illness locally referred to as “Dinga Dinga”, has wrecked havoc in Uganda. The disease has affected 300 people in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district.
The condition, predominantly impacting women and girls, is characterized by fever and excessive body shaking, which severely hampers mobility, as reported by IANS.
According to Dr. Kiyita Christopher, the district health officer, the illness is currently being treated with antibiotics, given by community health teams, and no fatalities have been reported so far.
“There is no scientific evidence that herbal medicine can treat this disease. We are using specific treatments, and patients usually recover within a week. I urge locals to seek treatment from health facilities within the district,” he said as quoted by NDTV.
According to media reports, no cases have been identified in areas outside Bundibugyo. Samples have been submitted to the Health Ministry for analysis, but no official statement has been released yet.
Experts are comparing the outbreak with the phenomenon “Dancing Plague” of 1518 in Strasbourg, France, where people uncontrollably danced for days, sometimes leading to exhaustion-related deaths.
Approximately 400 individuals have been affected, with 394 cases and 30 fatalities reported in the Panzi health zone, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
What are the symptoms?
Some of the common symptoms include:
- fever,
- headache,
- cough,
- runny nose, and body aches.
Meanwhile, investigations are underway to determine if respiratory pathogens such as influenza, COVID-19, malaria, or measles are the cause, however the illness remains unidentified pending lab results.