DRC screens river boat passengers
Health authorities in the DRC concluded screening for over 300 passengers from a river boat intercepted near Kinshasa. The boat was stopped after a 32-year-old man, who had traveled on board, died in Mongala province with symptoms consistent with Ebola. This prompted immediate action to prevent potential spread of the virus to the capital. The boat was intercepted in Maluku, 65 kilometers upstream from Kinshasa. A mobile laboratory was deployed, where all passengers underwent temperature checks and clinical screening. Seven passengers with fever and other symptoms were tested for Ebola. All seven tested negative, alleviating fears of transmission. The boat was decontaminated after negative test results. This operation comes amidst a significant Ebola outbreak in the DRC, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO. The 17th outbreak in the country, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, is the second-largest on record. As of early August, it has surpassed 4,000 confirmed cases and resulted in over 1,800 deaths across five provinces in eastern Congo. The health ministry emphasized the critical importance of monitoring river transport, a primary link between remote communities, to facilitate further virus spread. In response, health services have been instructed to implement enhanced screening for all boats arriving in Kinshasa, a city with over 17 million people. This proactive approach aims to safeguard the capital from the health crisis in the east. The swift response highlights the vigilance of Congolese health authorities to contain the outbreak.
