Key facts
- A boat, the Yingfeng 2, carrying 255 passengers has been quarantined on the Congo River.
- Five deaths, including a child and a newborn, have occurred among passengers.
- Health authorities and the WHO are conducting screening for Ebola and cholera.
- The boat was intercepted upstream from the capital, Kinshasa.
- The current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species.
Congolese authorities have intercepted and quarantined the Yingfeng 2, a boat carrying 255 passengers on the Congo River, as a precautionary measure against potential Ebola and cholera outbreaks. The vessel was halted near Bende Bende port, approximately 65km upstream from the capital, Kinshasa.
Health Minister Roger Kamba stated that screening is being conducted following the death of a passenger with fever and diarrhea, who had disembarked at an earlier stop. Two other adults, a three-year-old child, and a newborn have also died. Health ministry teams and the World Health Organization (WHO) have boarded the boat and established a mobile laboratory for testing.
"For now, no-one has tested positive, and it is likely no one will be positive after 21 days of incubation has elapsed," Kamba told reporters, emphasizing the precautionary nature of the measures.
The Yingfeng 2 departed Kisangani, DR Congo's third-largest city, about two weeks ago. Ebola cases have recently been reported in Kisangani, with at least four deaths. Kamba clarified that there have been no Ebola cases in Mongala Province, where the deceased passenger disembarked, contrary to earlier reports.
The boat traveled over 1,700km downstream towards Kinshasa before its interception. Security services have been instructed to quarantine the vessel offshore in line with WHO standards to prevent the potential spread of the virus into the capital. Public health teams are on standby.
DR Congo has been dealing with its 17th Ebola outbreak since May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo species. This outbreak has seen 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths. Over 17,000 people are under monitoring, with 674 patients in isolation or treatment across five provinces.