The mystery has finally been solved. It's a case of severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness. Malnutrition in the hardest-hit region had weakened the local population's immunity, leaving them more vulnerable to the disease.
The disease was identified after local health officials raised an alert, revealing a fatality rate of 6.25%, with over half of the deaths occurring in malnourished children under five.
Congo's health minister stated the country was on maximum alert, emphasizing the difficulties posed by the remote location of the outbreak, which complicated response efforts.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that 10 out of 12 samples from patients testing positive for the mysterious illness indicated malaria, while additional tests were still ongoing.
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