DRC Quarantines Nearly 200 Passengers as Ebola Deaths Top 1,850
Nearly 200 river passengers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been quarantined after one died from suspected Ebola, as the outbreak that began in May surpasses 1,850 deaths and becomes the fastest-spreading epidemic in history.
Democratic Republic of the Congo health authorities have quarantined nearly 200 passengers aboard a river vessel after one passenger died from symptoms consistent with Ebola. The DRC has been battling an Ebola outbreak since May, marking the fastest-spreading epidemic in history. Africa CDC Director Dr. Jean Kasaya reports 4,053 confirmed cases with at least 1,850 deaths. According to Kasaya, the sick passenger disembarked in Pimú, Mongala province, more than 1,000 kilometers from Kinshasa along the Congo River nearly three weeks ago and subsequently died. Officials have not disclosed the boat's current location beyond saying it is near the capital, and no confirmed cases have been reported in Kinshasa itself. The status of the nearly 200 quarantined passengers—whether confined to the vessel or on land—and the duration of quarantine remain unclear, though authorities say they are awaiting test results. DRC authorities report that 60-70 percent of new cases in this outbreak occur in people with no known contact with infected individuals, indicating the epidemic is spreading at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, dozens of healthcare workers in Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter, are staging protests demanding unpaid wages, with many abandoning their posts and obstructing treatment of critical patients.
