Tutankhamun Died of Malaria?

Infection and a malaria outbreak probably killed Tutankhamun, according to CT scans and DNA testing of the boy king's blood.

The boy king died suddenly at the age of only 19 in 1323 BC, suggesting that he could have been murdered. In 1968, the suspicion was confirmed, when an X-ray of the back of Tutankhamun’s head revealed two loose bone fragments in his skull – potentially resulting from a violent blow. However, the theory was invalidated in 2006, when a CT scan showed that the injury was caused after the king’s death.

Scientists also found the left thighbone to be fractured, so infection could have contributed to the pharaoh’s early death, but the direct cause was probably malaria. A DNA analysis of the king's blood from 2010 included the remains of malaria parasite DNA. More tests showed that Tutankhamun suffered from the most lethal variant of the disease, Malaria tropica. Together with a weakened immune system due to a hereditary disease and complex bone fracture, malaria probably killed the young king.. POTENTIAL: Finding out why Tutankhamun died. CHALLENGE: The embalming and numerous examinations make it difficult to find new material to finally establish the cause of death.