Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida.
Early this month, health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported that an unknown, flu-like illness had killed dozens in the country within a few months. The World Health Organization investigated, alongside local authorities.
As it stands, 37 deaths tied to the"mystery illness" have been confirmed in health care facilities, and additionally, 44 deaths documented in communities remain under investigation, the AP reported. Earlier estimates of the death toll ranged from 67 to 143. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Challenges to diagnosisThe Congo has a high incidence of malaria, a parasitic disease spread by mosquitoes. In 2022, the most recent year with data, the country reported over 27 million infections and over 24,000 deaths from the disease. For context, across all of Africa that year, there were 233 million malaria infections and 580,000 deaths.
Dr. Matthew Ippolito, an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, works in neighboring Zambia and noted that, at any given time, about 50% of the people in areas like this are walking around with malaria parasites in their blood. But as the WHO noted,"there is no functional laboratory in the health zone or province, requiring the collection and shipment of samples to Kinshasa for analysis."
The interaction of malnutrition with malaria is poorly understood, both Mordmüller and Ippolito said. Some studies suggest malnutrition may amplify malaria's effects, while others suggest it suppresses the symptoms."You're not only starving the person, but you're starving the parasite as well, in a sense," Ippolito explained. So it's complicated.
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