Malaria outbreak kills 52 in Democratic Republic of Congo

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have determined that a recent outbreak that killed more than 50 people was caused by malaria. The National Public Health Institute made the announcement on Monday. The outbreak affected nearly 1,000 people in the Equateur province. The symptoms of the illness included fever, fatigue, vomiting, and weight loss. At first, officials suspected it could be either malaria or food poisoning. However, lab tests on patient samples confirmed it was malaria. Authorities are still waiting for test results on food, water, and drink samples related to the outbreak. This incident follows another malaria outbreak that occurred in December, which was also initially unidentified but later confirmed as malaria.