Toddler dies of Ebola after 3 suspicious deaths in DRC; 148 contacts identified - Ars Technica

The family's deaths, along with the toddler's, occurred in the Butsili Health Area, which is close to Beni city, one of the epicenters of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in DRC's North Kivu Province.

That outbreak led to 3,470 cases and 2,287 deaths.

Additionally, North Kivu experienced a smaller Ebola outbreak earlier this year, between February and May, that involved 12 cases and six deaths.

It's too soon to tell if the new cases are linked to any of the past outbreaks or if they are the result of a new zoonotic spillover event.

Genetic analysis of the Ebola virus variants in that small outbreak showed they were most closely linked to variants seen in the massive West African outbreak between 2013 and 2016.

That outbreak was the largest in recorded history, causing more than 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths, mostly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Health officials responding to the new cluster of deaths in the Butsili Health Area are keen to determine if the cases are linked to past outbreaks.

The WHO also noted that the country is dealing with outbreaks of COVID-19, cholera, meningitis, and measles, which could "jeopardize the country's ability to rapidly detect and respond to the re-emergence of [Ebola] cases.".