Congo confirms Malaria outbreak after disease kills over 50

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that a mysterious illness, which killed more than 50 people in Equateur province, was malaria.

The country’s National Public Health Institute (INSP) said on Monday that lab tests on patient samples had identified malaria as the cause of the outbreak.

As reported by Reuters, the disease had initially sparked concerns after at least 943 people fell sick at the beginning of the year, experiencing fever, fatigue, vomiting, and weight loss.

Authorities had initially suspected either malaria or food poisoning.

“Lab testing on samples has now confirmed that it was malaria,” INSP coordinator Christian Ngandu said in a phone interview with Reuters.

While the results have ruled out other diseases, Ngandu noted that tests are still being conducted on water, drinks, and food samples sent abroad to check for possible contamination.

A similar health crisis occurred in December 2024 where another unknown illness was later confirmed to be malaria