Government Denies Presence of Ebola In Zambia

Following reports yesterday that a Congolese man had been admitted to Levy Mwanawasa with Ebola, the Zambian government has stepped in to deny these reports.

The Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya briefed media at his offices yesterday at his office and confirmed that the report was fake and of an alarmist nature.

“Yesterday, it was reported in some social media that a suspected EVD case was admitted to the Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital (LMTH) and this has caused panic and anxiety amongst members of the public” he said.

“May I take this opportunity to inform the public that contrary to the news circulating in the social media there is no case of EVD in Zambia. Allow me to make a clarification and update you on the patient currently admitted to LMTH.”

“He was already of ill health on travel. He had a fever, discoloration of the skin resulting from bleeding underneath the skin and red patching in the white of the eye among other symptoms was immediately admitted and quarantined to rule out EVD,” said Dr. Chilufya.

“On further investigation, our health workers made a tentative diagnosis of septicemia, a condition of blood infection with bacteria or other microorganisms. Further to that our laboratory investigations conducted at the University Of Zambia School Of Veterinary Medicine has ruled out Ebola Virus Disease.”