A vessel intercepted on the Congo River faces quarantine as Ebola concerns rise
The Yingfeng 2, operated by a Chinese company, was halted 65 kilometres upstream from Kinshasa after a passenger died in a local hospital. Health Minister Roger Kamba said the incident prompted full Ebola and cholera screening for all 255 passengers aboard.
World Health Organization (WHO) teams have been deployed aboard the boat, setting up a mobile laboratory to test for the virus. “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.
The vessel departed from Kisangani two weeks earlier, travelling over 1,700 kilometres to the downstream intercept point. Security services have ordered the Yingfeng 2 to be quarantined offshore in line with WHO standards to prevent any potential spread into the capital.
The DR Congo’s current outbreak, its 17th since 15 May, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare virus not seen in more than a decade. No specific treatment or vaccine exists yet, although the first human trials of a vaccine are underway in the UK.
Official figures show 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths—making it the country’s second deadliest Ebola outbreak. Over 17,000 people are under monitoring, 674 patients are in isolation or treatment across five provinces, and 776 have recovered.
While the authorities maintain that the measures are precautionary, the gravity of the situation remains high, with Maluku—Kinshasa’s main entry point—boosting surveillance and rapid-response capacities.
