A mysterious flu-like illness that has claimed dozens of lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in recent weeks is likely malaria, according to preliminary laboratory findings announced by the authorities on Wednesday.
Samples taken from infected individuals indicated that nine out of 12 tested positive for malaria, although the quality of the samples was reportedly poor.
Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Congolese microbiologist and director-general of the National Institute for Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, indicated that research is ongoing to confirm if this represents a localized epidemic. He suggested that malaria is the probable culprit, noting that most victims have been children.
Earlier this week, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also noted that most samples have tested positive for malaria. However, he acknowledged that multiple diseases could be at play, adding that further samples would be collected and analyzed.
According to the WHO, there have been 406 reported cases of the mystery illness and 31 deaths between October 24 and December 5. Most of these cases have affected children under 14 in nine of the 30 areas in the Panzi health zone, Kwango Province, in the southwest of the country.
Last week, the DRC’s Health Ministry announced on social media that 376 people had been infected and 79 had died, with most victims being children under five.
The unidentified disease manifests as a fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and body aches. Without a conclusive diagnosis, it remains unclear whether the cause is viral or bacterial, according to Dieudonne Mwamba, head of the country’s National Institute for Public Health.
Local authorities, including Provincial Health Minister Apollinaire Yumba, have urged residents to take precautions to prevent the further spread of the illness, advising them not to touch the deceased.
Due to the region’s remote location – around 700km (435 miles) from the capital, Kinshasa – and limited local testing capacity, samples had to be transported over 500km to Kikwit for analysis.
The WHO reported on Sunday that the affected area faces worsening food insecurity, low vaccination rates, and limited access to diagnostics and quality healthcare. The region also suffers from shortages of health workers, supplies, and transportation, with “very limited” malaria control measures in place.
Specialist teams from the WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are continuing their investigations.