Haemorrhagic fever isn’t typically associated with parasite-caused malaria, meaning the outbreak may be caused by more than severe malaria, authorities said. View on euronews

An initially "unknown" illness affecting hundreds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be attributable to malaria, malnutrition and a viral infection. But investigations are ongoing.

A man in western Congo has died with hemorrhagic fever symptoms. Health authorities say that has led them to suspect that a still-unidentified virus may be involved alongside malaria in a mysterious outbreak that has killed dozens of people.

Congo’s health ministry told Reuters this week that malaria was the culprit: “The mystery has finally been solved. It’s a case of severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness,” it said Tuesday in a statement, according to Reuters. The ministry did not respond to multiple inquiries from NBC News.

Earlier this month, local authorities said the disease had killed 143 people in the southwestern Kwango province in November.

A flu-like illness that’s sickened hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a mix of diseases common in the region that have morphed into severe forms in a population weakened by food shortages.

A deadly outbreak in western Congo has caused concern among health authorities as nearly 592 cases have been reported. While malaria is suspected, recent deaths exhibiting hemorrhagic fever symptoms suggest a possible viral infection at play.

A mystery illness found in a remote part of Congo has been officially identified as a severe form of malaria, which has sickened nearly 600 people and killed 143.

Authorities say the mystery flu-like illness that has killed dozens of people in southwest Congo in recent weeks might be malaria