A mysterious illness outbreak in a remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo has now been identified as an acute respiratory infection complicated by malaria, health officials said on Friday.
There have been 891 cases and 48 deaths reported since late October, according to an update from the World Health Organization on Friday. Hundreds of samples have been tested to understand more about the illness. More than 60% of rapid diagnostic tests were positive for malaria, and about two-thirds of those tested with a more precise PCR laboratory test were also positive for Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria.
Symptoms that have led to deadly cases include difficulty in breathing, anemia and signs of acute malnutrition, which leaves young children particularly vulnerable. Children younger than 5 have been disproportionately affected, representing nearly half of all cases and 54% of all deaths. This age group represents just 18% of the population in this region.
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