MANSFIELD, Arkansas — A man who was found dead in a semi-truck in the parking lot of a Mansfield Harps grocery store on Nov. 20 died from natural causes, according to the Medical Examiner's autopsy report.
The report said Mohammed Keita, 35, from Lawrenceville Georgia, died of cerebral malaria due to plasmodium falciparum.
According to the National Institutes of Health, "Cerebral malaria is the most severe neurological complication of infection with Plasmodium falciparum malaria."
It is normally brought on by a parasite that infects the red blood cells and can cause seizures, comas, or other neurological abnormalities, according to the CDC.
BLAIR, the trucking company associated with the vehicle, reportedly confirmed Keita "had recently been out of the country, and possibly had an illness," and as a result, the Fort Smith Hazmat team was deployed as a precaution on Nov. 20.
Before Keita made his way to Arkansas, police said Keita was treated at a hospital in Ponca City Oklahoma on Thursday, Nov. 16, where he was tested for COVID, the flu, and SARS, before being prescribed antibiotics, and released on Friday, Nov. 17.
Later that day, Keita reportedly pulled into the Mansfield Harp's parking lot, where his truck was parked until authorities investigated the scene on Nov. 20.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.