DR Congo river boat under quarantine for Ebola after five deaths
The health minister says all the passengers are being screened as a precautionary measure.
The Chinese-operated river boat Yingfeng 2 is currently under quarantine for Ebola after five deaths among its 255 passengers. The vessel was intercepted near Bende Bende port, 40 miles upstream from Kinshasa, following the death of a passenger who had left the boat in Mongala Province. Health Minister Roger Kamba stated that the screening was done as a precautionary measure after the initial death and two subsequent deaths among adult passengers, as well as two infant deaths.
Teams from the health ministry and the World Health Organization have boarded the ship and established a mobile lab to conduct tests. No one has tested positive yet, and it is expected no one will test positive within the 21-day incubation period. The boat had departed from Mongala 22 days ago, where no Ebola cases had been reported, contrary to earlier reports.
The boat traveled over 1,700km downstream towards Kinshasa before being intercepted. Security services have been directed to quarantine the boat offshore to prevent potential spread of the virus into the capital.
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