DR Congo River Boat Intercepted Amid Ebola Outbreak After Five Deaths

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:45:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Authorities quarantine a 255‑passenger vessel on the Congo River following five Ebola‑related deaths amid the Bundibugyo outbreak.

Health officials halted the Chinese‑operated ship Yingfeng 2 65km upstream from Kinshasa to screen 255 passengers for Ebola and cholera after five deaths linked to the virus. WHO and national teams set up a mobile lab on board and placed the vessel in quarantine offshore, with no confirmed positives so far. The outbreak, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 17th since 2016, now accounts for 3,973 cases and 1,801 deaths, the second deadliest in history. Enhanced surveillance at Kinshasa’s Maluku port remains in place while the ship is kept contained OFFLINE until safe to proceed.

DR Congo River Boat Intercepted Amid Ebola Outbreak After Five Deaths

In an urgent attempt to contain the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, authorities intercepted the Yingfeng 2, a 255‑passenger Chinese‑operated vessel, 65 km upstream from Kinshasa.

Health Minister Roger Kamba explained that passengers are being screened for Ebola and cholera following the death of a passenger exhibiting fever and diarrhoea who was hospitalized in Mongala Province. The deaths of three additional adults, a three‑year‑old child and a newborn have also been reported.

The World Health Organization and national health teams boarded the ship and established a mobile laboratory to conduct tests. The vessel was placed in an offshore quarantine zone in accordance with WHO guidance, and no infections have yet been confirmed. Kamba noted that the 21‑day incubation period is a crucial factor in evaluating potential risk.

The outbreak, the country’s 17th since 2016, has reached 3,973 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths, the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. Enhanced surveillance is underway at Maluku, Kinshasa’s main port of entry, and 17,000 people are under monitoring for contact with cases.

For now the ship remains contained offshore, with health teams on standby ready to act should new threats arise.