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.

Severe malaria is the likely cause of dozens of unexplained deaths and nearly 600 illnesses in the Democratic Republic of Congo, health officials believe.

"The mystery has finally been solved," Congo's health ministry says, after an unidentified disease outbreak started killing mainly women and children in a remote region.

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.

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

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

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 previously unknown disease that has claimed the lives of dozens in the Democratic Republic of Congo is likely to be malaria, the African Union's health watchdog said Thursday.

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

The mystery disease's virus, which has remained unidentified for over three weeks now, is suspected to have been a factor alongside malaria in the outbreak.