The Democratic Republic of Congo has quarantined a passenger boat on the Congo River after five people died during its journey, prompting health authorities to screen all 255 passengers for Ebola and cholera.
The Yingfeng 2, operated by a Chinese company, was intercepted near Bende Bende port, about 65 km upstream from the capital, Kinshasa. Health officials boarded the vessel alongside teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and established a mobile laboratory to carry out testing.
Health Minister Roger Kamba said the operation was launched as a precaution after a passenger suffering from fever and diarrhoea disembarked earlier in Mongala Province and later died in hospital. Four other passengers, including two adults, a three-year-old child and a newborn, also died during the voyage.
Kamba said no passengers have tested positive for Ebola so far. Also adding that authorities expect to complete monitoring after the virus’s 21-day incubation period.
The boat departed Kisangani, DR Congo’s third-largest city, about two weeks ago. The city has recently recorded Ebola cases, with at least four related deaths. However, the minister clarified that Mongala Province has not recorded any confirmed Ebola infections despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise.
The vessel travelled more than 1,700 kilometres downstream before security agencies intercepted it. Authorities have ordered the boat to remain offshore under WHO quarantine guidelines to reduce the risk of any potential spread.
The latest incident comes as DR Congo battles its 17th Ebola outbreak, which was declared on 15 May.
Three months into the outbreak, infections continue to rise. Official figures show 3,973 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,801 deaths, making it the country’s second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.
Authorities are also monitoring more than 17,000 people identified as contacts of confirmed cases. Meanwhile, 674 patients remain in isolation or treatment centres across five provinces, while 776 people have recovered.
In Kinshasa, health officials have strengthened surveillance and emergency response measures at Maluku, the city’s main entry point. Authorities insist the quarantine remains precautionary but acknowledge the situation highlights the seriousness of the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
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