PRETORIA, December 17. /TASS/. Scientists have identified a disease previously considered as novel circulating in western parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a severe form of malaria, the republic’s Health Ministry said .

"The mystery has finally been solved. It's a case of severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness," Reuters quoted the ministry as saying. The public health agency added that the majority of patients have also been "weakened by malnutrition."

An outbreak of an unidentified disease occurred in the province of Kwango in the fall. The infection was accompanied by high fever and severe headaches. Scientists, including experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), have been trying to establish its origin and ways of transmission since late October.

According to the Congolese government’s official data, the total number of infections has amounted to 593 with 36 fatalities, while local authorities in Kwango reported 143 deaths.

Malaria is one of the most widely spread infectious diseases caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group. According to the WHO, about 620,000 people, mostly children, die of malaria annually. That said, 93% of fatalities occur in African countries.