Patient who is suffering from unknown disease in Longechuk | Photo: Kech Pal

A national Non-Governmental Organization has reported the death of at least 10 people due to an unknown disease in Longechuk County of Upper Nile State in the past week.

Kech Pal, the head of Nile Initiative Development Organization (NIDO) running the health unit in Dajo Payam said says the first case of the disease was registered in the middle of June 2023.

Pal says the strange infection further spread and a local Primary Healthcare Unit registered four deaths in Dajo Payam, with many others admitted to the hospital.

He further says four deaths were reported in Pashimbi on June 21^st, including three children and one adult.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Tuesday, he said the health unit managed by his organisation has since received 18 cases with 10 death, and 5 recoveries.

“We have received a number of patients with the same symptoms 10 of them died and five recovered approximately, we have received 18 cases,” Pal said.

Pal further claimed the disease was imported from Dukubela – an area at the border with the Blue Nile due to the influx of returnees from Sudan.

He also said in the first week of June, many returnees entering the area from Dukubela developed the symptoms which then showed among the locals.

“The disease broke out on 16^th June that’s when we noticed the first case when there was a number influx from Sudan there has been a number of returnees coming through the Blue Nile border to South Sudan,” he said.

“The way we are seeing symptoms looks like that of hemorrhagic fever. But it’s not yet confirmed.”

Pal says patients suffering from the strange disease present symptoms such as vomiting with blood, diarrhoea with blood, sore throat, red eyes, and running nose.

Others are cough blurry vision and itching.

“The person develops rushes in the body, vomiting blood, diarrhoea ting bloody eyes, and also high fever,” he said.

When contacted, the Director General for Preventive Health Service at the Ministry of Health confirmed the incident.

Dr John Pasquale Rumunu said the Public Health Emergency Operation Center is investigating the disease.

“We are conducting surveillant for a number of epidemic-prone diseases including viral hemorrhagic fever. Our system has picked that and we are now investigating.”