Three neighbors died after similar symptoms

The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in a statement, based on information from the DRC's health ministry, that the confirmed case involves a 3-year-old boy from the Butsili health area of Beni Health Zone. His symptoms began in early October and included weakness, appetite loss, dark stools, and bloody vomit. He died on Oct 6. Samples were tested at a lab in Beni the next day, then sent to the National Institute of Biomedical Research lab in Goma on Oct 8, where tests confirmed Ebola virus.

The boy's illness was preceded by the deaths of three of the boy's neighbors, a father and two of his children. The three people died in the last half of September after having symptoms consistent with Ebola, but none were tested.

One of the children in the family cluster tested positive for malaria at a health facility. She was treated for severe malaria, but died on Sep 29.

Investigators from the local health department and the WHO investigated the deaths and conducted contact tracing, collecting two samples for COVID-19, but not Ebola. The people weren't buried safely, and the list of potential causes of their illnesses included severe malaria, Ebola, measles, and meningitis. The DRC is experiencing a meningitis outbreak, but it is centered in the northeastern part of the country, about 430 miles west of Beni.

The outbreak response team as of Oct 9 has identified and is following 148 contacts.

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