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The Ministry of Health says it is investigating the death of three people who showed suspected symptoms of hemorrhagic fever in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State early this week.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the Ebola and Marburg, Lassa fever, and yellow fever viruses.

VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, they damage the blood vessels, and they affect the body’s ability to regulate itself.

One hundred twenty-seven alerts have been recorded at Sir Malaga town in Raja County so far.

The health institution said on 3rd October, a woman in Sir Malaga town who went to the market died shortly after returning with symptoms of bleeding from nose and mouth.

It went on to say in the following day, two family members of the deceased presented similar symptoms, including fever and died as well.

According to a situation updates seen by Eye Radio on Thursday, the health ministry said the deaths triggered an alarm which prompted the army base in Sir Malaga to report to Raja.

“At 1pm on 5th of October, additional information was received from the same area, indicating that three neighbors of the deceased family presented similar symptoms. One is critically ill and two are mildly ill, with all fever and bleeding from mouth and nose,” it partly reads.

The health ministry stressed that it on the same day also received information that the deceased family members were buried, which hindered it from getting samples.

In response, it sent a team of six medics which consisting of epidemiologists from WHO, surveillance officer, clinician, laboratory officers and wash officers to go and investigate the incidences.

It revealed that its team collected blood samples from two acutely sick patients which had headache, fever, abdominal pain and epistaxis that are now undergoing testing at the Public Health Laboratory.

The statement said the Rapid Response Team has listed a total of eight contacts and has also conducted risk assessment, risk communication and mobilization in the area.

The suspected cases have no history of contact with the patients who have similar clinical manifestations, it continued.

The institution called on WHO and partners to address basic health services, stressing that the area has no road network, no health facility, lacks basic health services and has no telecommunication coverage.

Sir Malaga town is located close to Central African Republic.

The ministry of health urges area residents to remain calm as it investigates the alerts.