Scientists learn cause of killer outbreak in Congo
Laboratory results have confirmed that a recent deadly disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was caused by malaria, the country’s National Public Health Institute (INSP) stated on Monday.
The outbreak earlier this year led to 943 reported cases and 52 deaths, according to Dieudonne Mwamba, the director general of the INSP. Patients displayed symptoms including fever, fatigue, vomiting, and weight loss. In February, health officials initially suspected malaria or food poisoning as the cause.
Last month, doctors ruled out known viruses such as Ebola, Marburg, yellow fever, and dengue after testing more than a dozen samples. The WHO said additional tests were being conducted to determine if other diseases, including typhoid fever, meningitis, or viral hemorrhagic fevers, could also be responsible.
Lab testing on the samples has confirmed that the illness was malaria, according to Professor Christian Ngandu of the INSP, who also heads Congo’s public health emergency operations center. He shared the information in a phone interview with Reuters.
Malaria is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause severe illness and death, particularly in children and vulnerable populations without access to adequate medical care.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that malaria claims around 620,000 lives globally each year, with the majority of victims being children. Significantly, 93% of these deaths occur in Africa.
The DRC previously suffered a severe outbreak of the Mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, with over 2,000 new suspected cases weekly, according to the WHO.
Armed clashes are ongoing in the country’s east, driven by militants of the M23 group, one of dozens of rebel groups fighting the government for control of territories and mineral resources. Since the beginning of this year, at least 8,500 people, including children and peacekeepers, have been killed in escalating fighting between the rebels and Congolese forces.
