Zambia records two suspected cases of Ebola, both test negative

Zambia has recorded two suspected cases of Ebola. However, test results have come out negative, Ministry of Health officials have revealed. Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in charge of Donor Coordination, Dr.

George Sinyangwe said the cases were investigated and cleared through laboratory testing. In a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday, Sinyangwe said the country had stepped up surveillance following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He said Zambia’s health system remained vigilant to detect and respond to any imported cases of the virus.

According to Sinyangwe, the DRC declared an outbreak of Ebola in the Ituri region on 15th May, 2026, which has since spread rapidly to 13 zones of that country. “There is no outbreak of Ebola in Zambia. Zambia has only recorded two suspdcted cases of Ebola, both of which were negative for Ebola after laboratory testing,” he emphasized.

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Sinyangwe noted that the outbreak in DRC had caused 238 deaths among 1,077 suspected cases, while Uganda has confirmed seven cases and one fatality. WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17th May, 2026, citing the risk posed by cross-border trade and travel. “The threat of an Ebola outbreak is real to any country, given the dynamics of trade and general travel.

Zambia could even be at a higher risk of imported Ebola because of the cross-border activities that are conducted between the two countries,” he said. Sinyangwe explained that Ebola spreads from person to person through direct contact with infected body fluids such as blood, saliva, sweat, vomitus, feces, semen, and through contaminated objects like needles and beddings. He urged members of the public to know the symptoms of Ebola, which include high fever, severe headache, intense fatigue, muscle pain, sore throat, severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, rash, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

To stop the spread into Zambia, Sinyangwe said the government was using a whole-of-Government and society approach under the stewardship of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU). “Zambia has developed screening tools and/or protocols, which are already being used to screen for Ebola at entry points into Zambia and on people within the country who have Ebola-like symptoms,” he stated. Sinyangwe added that isolation centers have been identified and assessed to house individuals suspected of having Ebola while they are being investigated.

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