A strange new illness is spreading through a remote part of the world, leaving dozens dead – and experts fearing the worst. Fever. Headache. Joint pain. Cough. A runny nose. They sound like common symptoms. But a strange new virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is killing about 7.6 per cent of those who catch it.

A mysterious illness outbreak that has sickened at least 416 people and killed 31 in a remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo may be at least partly caused by malaria, health officials said Tuesday.

Amid investigations into this mysterious disease, health officials have also had to respond to mpox outbreaks in the country.

An unidentified disease has reportedly affected over 400 people in the rural Kwango Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since October 2024. Some estimates have placed the number of deaths so far in excess of 140,

A mystery disease has sickened hundreds and killed dozens in Democratic Republic of Congo, yet it took more than a month for a report to be made to the World Health Organization.

The WHO has sent epidemiologists to the country to uncover the cause of the illness, which has killed more than 70 people, half of them children.

According to the AP, the deaths were recorded between November 10 and November 25 in the DRC’s Panzi health zone of Kwango province. The AP reports that the World Health Organization is aware of the situation and has sent a team to work with local officials to collect samples.

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

Health officials revealed Congo's mysterious illness causing flu-like symptoms and dozens of deaths could be malaria.