Congo’s Mystery Disease Might Be Malaria: Authorities

A mysterious illness causing flu-like symptoms and dozens of deaths in southwestern Congo could be malaria, health officials said on Wednesday.

What Happened?

In recent weeks, the mystery disease has affected 416 people, causing 31 deaths in hospitals, according to The World Health Organization (WHO).

Congo’s health minister, Roger Kamba, reported an additional 44 deaths occurring in the community. Children under 14 have been disproportionately affected, particularly in the remote Panzi health zone of Kwango province, a region notorious for its limited healthcare resources.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director-general of the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa told The Associated Press that nine out of twelve samples collected from infected people tested positive for malaria, but he cautioned that the sample quality was poor.

“Of the 12 samples taken, nine were positive for malaria, but these samples were not of very good quality, so we are continuing to research to find out if this is an epidemic. But it is very likely that it is malaria because most of the victims are children,” Muyembe said.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, acknowledged a malaria connection in most samples while noting the possibility of multiple illnesses at play. He added that additional samples are being collected and tested.

What Are the Symptoms of the Mystery Disease?

Symptoms linked to the mystery disease include fever, headaches, coughing and anemia, raising concerns about the Congo’s limited medical infrastructure.

Experts from Congo’s National Rapid Response Team and WHO have been deployed to Panzi last week to take samples and investigate, but the remote location—over 435 miles from Kinshasa—posed logistical challenges.

According to Congo’s health minister, the experts took two days to arrive. In addition, due to the lack of local testing capacity, samples had to be taken to Kikwit, more than 310 miles away, the head of the National Institute for Public Health, Dieudonne Mwamba, said last week.

Panzi, previously hit by a typhoid outbreak two years ago, faces intersecting public health crises, including a seasonal flu resurgence, widespread malnutrition and low vaccination rates, all of which render children particularly vulnerable.

Panzi resident Ezekiel Kasongo told The Associated Press (AP) that his 9-year-old son was recently released from the hospital after he became ill two weeks ago.

“He had a high fever, a headache and was very weak,” Kasongo said to the AP. “We were very worried because of the number of deaths, especially among children, but God be praised, he is out.”

WHO officials noted that the region’s underlying conditions exacerbate the severity of the current outbreak.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.