Passengers of intercepted Congo river boat cleared of Ebola threat

Only seven were tested for Ebola because people infected with the disease are not considered contagious before they develop symptoms, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, head of Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, told Reuters.

“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.

The boat was decontaminated and passengers were provided with food and medical assistance, provincial health official Isabelle Lumbwe told Reuters.

Videos posted on social media showed passengers protesting after the vessel was intercepted and prevented from continuing its journey.