In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a mysterious illness that recently resulted in 31 deaths has been identified as severe malaria, according to local health authorities on the 17th local time.
According to Reuters, the DRC Ministry of Health stated in a release, “The mystery has finally been solved,” announcing, “This disease is a form of severe malaria with respiratory symptoms, exacerbated by cases of malnutrition.”
They further explained that since October 2020, approximately 592 cases have been reported, with a fatality rate of 6.2%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) noted on December 9 that from October 24 to December 5, an unidentified illness resembling flu symptoms was reported in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province, southwest DRC, resulting in 406 cases and 31 deaths over about 40 days.
Patients exhibited symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and body aches.
The Panzi health zone is a remote village about 700 kilometers from the capital, Kinshasa, where 40% of the residents suffer from malnutrition, making it a vulnerable area.
In its outbreak report at the time, WHO explained, “Most of the cases and deaths were in children under five, and all severe cases were associated with severe malnutrition.”
[Photo Credit: Yonhap News / Google Maps Capture]
■ To Report
▷ Phone: 02-781-1234, 4444
▷ Email: [email protected]
▷ KakaoTalk: Search for ‘KBS Report’, add the channel
▷ Subscribe to KBS News on Naver and YouTube!