Congo man dies with hemorrhagic fever, indicating mystery outbreak could be more than just malaria

Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — 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 authorities said last week that they suspected malaria in the flu-like disease outbreak, in which more than four out of five patients have tested positive for malaria. But the death of the man with hemorrhagic fever — not normally associated with parasite-caused malaria — could indicate a virus at work as well. The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the died Thursday in the remote Panzi area of Kwango province where the outbreak has been recorded.