The disease first emerged in the town of Gungu, Kwilu Province, in August, affecting children up to age five. Regional health chief Jean-Pierre Basake was cited as saying that some of the infected children displayed malaria-like symptoms.
"It looks like malaria and the rapid test returns positive, but aside from malaria some [children] suffer from a disease we know nothing about that causes anemia," Basake said.
The Kwilu health ministry has yet to begin studying the source of the disease and develop countermeasures, the minister said.
Alain Nzamba, the head of the Mukedi rural commune, told the newspaper that the disease is killing an average of four children every day in the villages of Lozo Munene and Kinzamba.