DR Congo reveals cause of mystery illness

Health authorities have identified a previously unknown disease as severe malaria

A previously unidentified disease that has broken out in the southwestern Kwango province of the Democratic Republic of Congo is a severe form of malaria, the country’s Health Ministry has announced. 

Earlier this month, the local authorities reported that the disease, which was not initially identified, had claimed 143 lives in November. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and body aches.  

“The mystery has finally been solved: it’s a case of severe malaria presenting as a respiratory illness,” the Health Ministry stated, noting that widespread malnutrition in the area had increased susceptibility to the disease. Since October, there have been 592 reported cases with a fatality rate of 6.2%, the statement said. 

Most of the affected individuals are children. The outbreak is concentrated in nine of the 30 areas within the Panzi health zone, approximately 700km (435 miles) from Kinshasa, which complicated the investigation and response efforts.   

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent a team of experts to the Panzi region to assist in identifying the disease and managing the outbreak.   

Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that ten initial samples from patients in the DRC affected by the mysterious illness had tested positive for malaria. However, he stressed that this finding did not rule out the presence of other diseases occurring simultaneously. 

The provincial health minister, Apollinaire Yumba, told Reuters that malaria treatment provided by the WHO was being distributed across the primary hospital and healthcare facilities in the region. 

Malaria, one of the deadliest infectious diseases globally, is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. It can take weeks to show symptoms and typically causes fever, vomiting, chills, and flu-like symptoms. While treatable, malaria remains a significant threat in developing countries, claiming approximately 600,000 lives annually, 93% of which are in Africa.