Congo releases riverboat detained over Ebola
Authorities release a vessel after tests confirm no Ebola infections onboard.
Congolese authorities have released a riverboat that was detained over fears that passengers may have been exposed to Ebola. The vessel was stopped after reports that it had travelled from Kisangani, an area affected by the current Ebola outbreak. However, Health Minister Roger Kamba told RFI that the boat actually originated from Mongala province, where no Ebola cases have been reported.
A passenger who became ill was forced to leave the boat and later died, but no samples were collected to determine whether the person had Ebola. Two children and another adult also died on board but tested negative for the virus. Other passengers with symptoms were also tested, with no Ebola infections detected. Authorities said they will continue monitoring boats travelling within 65 kilometres of Kinshasa as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.
The Nigerian stake is urgent. The DRC’s Ebola outbreak has already become the world’s second-largest on record, and the virus continues to spread. Nigeria’s public health surveillance systems are weak, and the country’s borders are porous.
From a Nigerian vantage point, the riverboat incident is a warning. The virus is moving. Nigeria must strengthen its surveillance and preparedness systems before the virus reaches its borders.
This echoes the 2014 Ebola epidemic, when the virus spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The outbreak claimed over 11,000 lives before it was contained. Nigeria recorded 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths. The lesson was clear.
The winners: none. The losers: the passengers who died; and Nigeria, which has not yet learned the lessons of 2014.
Bottom Line: A riverboat has been released after Ebola tests came back negative. The outbreak continues to spread. The question is whether Nigeria is prepared.