Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (Running Africa) — Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have ruled out Ebola in passengers tested aboard a Kinshasa-bound river boat, easing fears that the deadly virus may have spread among hundreds of people on the vessel.
The boat, carrying about 300 passengers, was intercepted near the Congolese capital on Wednesday after the death of a 32-year-old man raised concerns about a possible Ebola exposure.
The man had traveled aboard the vessel late last month before later dying in northwestern Mongala province with a suspected case of Ebola. His death prompted authorities to stop the boat in Maluku, about 65 kilometers from Kinshasa, where passengers were temporarily quarantined.
The decision sparked protests among some passengers who objected to being held at the site.
Seven Passengers Test Negative for Ebola
Health workers examined all passengers aboard the vessel, conducting temperature checks and monitoring for signs of illness.
Seven people who developed symptoms, including fever and headaches, were tested for Ebola. All seven returned negative results.
Jean-Jacques Muyembe, head of DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, confirmed that none of the symptomatic passengers had tested positive.
“All the tests we carried out on the seven passengers from the boat who presented symptoms resembling malaria, such as fever and headaches, were negative for Ebola,” Muyembe said, according to Reuters.
Authorities said passengers who did not display symptoms were not tested because Ebola is generally not transmissible before symptoms appear.
DRC Tightens Ebola Screening Around Kinshasa
Following the incident, Congolese health officials ordered additional screening measures for boats arriving in Kinshasa as authorities work to prevent suspected Ebola cases from reaching the densely populated capital.
The heightened precautions come as the DRC continues to battle an Ebola outbreak declared on May 15.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has recorded more than 4,000 cases and 1,850 deaths across five provinces in eastern DRC.
The Kinshasa boat scare highlights growing concerns over containing the outbreak as health authorities strengthen surveillance and screening along major transportation routes.
