The Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Zambia have launched an investigation into the mysterious disease suspected to have broken out in Zambia.
The unknown disease, which is characterized by fever, coughs and bleeding from any part of the body, is reported to have so far claimed three lives.
Minister of Health, Brian Chituwo, announced in a statement to ZANIS today that his ministry had received reports of the unknown diseases in the country.
Dr. Chituwo said the first person to suffer from the disease was a South African woman who was resident in Zambia.
He said the woman fell sick on September 4th, this year and was subsequently evacuated to Morningside Clinic in South Africa where she died on September 13th.
He further explained that the second victim was a paramedic who accompanied the woman to South Africa while the third one was a nurse who attended to the first victim in that country.
“Unconfirmed reports indicate that the driver of the ambulance that ferried the patient from Linseria airport to Morningside in South Africa is presently in a critical condition,” Dr. Chituwo said.
He said that patients that suffer from this unknown disease develop a fever, cough and bleed from various parts of the body.
Dr. Chituwo said all investigations that have so far been done on the disease did not point to any known illness.
He has however said none of the contacts that have been made so far was in danger.
“Note that none of our health facilities here in Zambia has reported such an illness,” he added.
The Minister has since assured the public that the situation was under control and therefore, all air and road international and local travel, trade and commercial activities within and outside the country should continue as usual.
Dr. Chituwo said Government, through his ministry, was giving the situation special attention and that members of the general public should remain calm.
“Members of the public are also cautioned that any suspicious case presenting with fever, cough and bleeding from any part of the body should be reported to the nearest health facility,” he said.
ENDS/KSH/PK/ZANIS.
Twafwa na ebola virus- its lethal, please investigate and advise us!
my GOD…..
kwena if the blogs here stand for anything, Sata wont win. Problem is few of us here have voters’ cards…so unfortunately kaonya might win and gosh am mauless!
Mulongoti and Teta
Imwe naimwe, don’t be inferior. If this disease originated from Zambia as accused, then why hasn’t anyone in Zambia died of it? for goodness’ sake, the woman was a tour guide or something, use your common sense!(don’t even think about sex you sex addicts – i mean some tourist might have “donated” the disease in some other way).
Peace, :).
Dr.Chituwo is reported to have said everything is under “control”! How can this be when we don’t know yet the cause of this mysterious desease? What can he control?
Good job Minister Chituwo.
Since new and strange dis-ease is causing deaths to whoever is attacked, please ensure that you pray for the next victims, especially the driver of the ambulance who is said to be in a critical condition. God answers prayers – Matt 21: 21, 22.
South Africa needs to find the origin of the problem instead of just saying Zambia. How come no one is reported to suffer from the same in Zambia. Ni Xenophobia?
# 6 walasa. Uyu tour guide must have told us where she contracted this dangerous virus before she died. tatwafwile by leaving a lot of questions.
Its really sad
yaba! These are the last days,God help us to find the cause and cure for this disease.amen
#1 walasa boi!!!
ebola virus!!
Zambia has become the number one tourist attraction in Southern Africa. I hope this is not South africa’s attempt to discourage tourists from coming to Zambia. As others have already pointed out, how come no one in Zambia has had such an illness. Remember, medical facilities in Zambia are not ‘very’ advanced and such a disease, as indicated, could have spread very rapidly given the high interactions in markets and other social areas.
We cannot be sure that no one in Zambia has died from the disease yet. Unless you have not lived in Zambia, in the clinics and hospitals they would not know, let alone report a mysterious illness because of the many and strange cases our overworked staff see. Sometimes they do not even diagnose causes of death, just look at the death certificates. The best that can done in the situation is to say: Bane look, nanga in the past few days simunaoneko people with such symptoms at the clinics and Hospitals, and then they might remember. By the way Mulongoti is no longer campaign manager of RB. Did you notice RB’s grand daughter, sori wife? Looks like she wants to appear old deliberately?
Have they tried to check for the presence of ebola? It seems the symptoms are similar to ebola virus. But we need info on how this lady used to move. from which part of lusaka and to where was she taking the tourists?
Stay cool, even ebola has limits coz the whole of congo would by now be wiped out!!!!
understand this zmbians please too much of any thing its bad that is why we are experiencing such kind of deseases ‘cos of same political party M.M.D ama ministers bambe tababomba balya fye eshamahala epiya so vot pabwatoooooo.
I wish more couild be done than what is being said about this strange bulwele. bushe Chituwo’s word are filyo fyamatwi?
PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA DONT WORRY.. THIS disease will be STABLE!!! BY TOMORROW.
could you investigate further if the disease is transimitted by blogging… apparently there are some bloggers with such symptoms, they sound sick!
no survivors on this one…if you have survived hiv/aids, tb etc then you are gone on this one . can our God just come we go to heaven
I have a strong feeling this disease has something to do with the game reserve were this woman was. She must have contracted something deadly from the animals either by ingesting or coming into very close contact and the rest were mere casualties because they came into contact with her.
Go to which nearest clinic or hospital to do wat becoz the disease is not known. people please you expect nurses to treat a person who is bleeding from everywhere how. This is very interesting and traumatising at the same time.
This is strange, of all victims, no zambian is involved. quite strange, God has sparred us cause we have no capacity to deal with calamities like fires at police station opposite the fire brigade station. What more a medical calamity!!!!
WHO should quickly run tests to accertain the disease. This lady how did she come into zambia, what was her role at game lodge, who was she with? But as usual the Zed medical investigations will be incompetently done and will yeild no clues.
The end of this world. Jesus is comming soon.
si anthrax chabe
People this woman a tour guide that lived in Zambia for over 10 years. She came here as a VSO (like a lot of these dirty whiteys we call investors) but she never left. She lived in the Leopards Hill area engaged in their favorite past time – living large and riding horses all day long. Last month the Leopards Hill whiteys invited other whiteys from the region into Zambia for a horse riding competition. These regional whiteys came with their horses. Some of these whiteys were from the Congo!! Their Congolese horse were sick with Congo fever. The ticks that bite these horses bite her…she didnt dress the wound (dirty muzungu!!) and she got ill. The rest as they say is history…
number 5,6 and 21….i feel you.
I fail to understand the capacity of Zambians in controlling epidemics. None has told us the index of the disease. Zambia is vast, 750,000 square km, where is Zambia was this woman observed to have contracted the disease? Who were the contacts ( in Zambia). Thats the problem having uneducated people in leadership. Vote wisely on October 30, not bakaponya who don’t understand challenges of morden society.
The Zambia doctor that was with her trusted the muzungu woman too much (surprise surprise!). While on the plane she vomited and as a doctor, in order to attend to her he used HIS BARE HANDS IN HER MOUTH. If this had been a Zedian he would have put on gloves. Anybody else that attended to this woman without protection thereafter faced the same result (until she was cleaned up)
The muzungu community in Leopards Hill is up in panic – most of them are being tested in cfb or Joburg…horse riding has all been suspended. Go to the Mark Jealous Farm (if they let you in) and the place is dead…no pun intended
#haha. i think ndiwe racist, what’s your problem? where did you inherit such type of reasoning? strange flag by the way. 😀
Sounds to me like someone has been eating the monkeys again!!!!
Twafwa bane!
ala twa chula kuno ku Joburg.
#26 & 29,
Ur infor sounds convincing. anyway the late lady ignored the tick bite and thank God the disease is not in Zambia. hope it wont be there any time. ukutemwa ama horse do they take there horses for vaccinations? i guess it will be an out break the day the tick will bite a person in Zed for the time being Vet doctors check the horses and put that disease under control as said by Dr Chituwo. the story is making headlines in RSA.
I think the most important thing for us now is to be on “Red alert”. Lets spread this bad news so that as many pipo as possible are aware and can take some precautionary measures to avoid contracting the disease while investigations continue.
Katuya
I think the most important thing for us now is to be on “Red alert”. Lets spread this bad news so that as many pipo as possible are aware and can take some precautionary measures to avoid contracting the disease while investigations continue.
Katuya
#5 and #13 are right. Someone in RSA is scaring away the tourists. Remember they have no VICTORIA FALLS there
#37 dont be so naive!!! Do you that the South Africa HAVE the VICTORIA FALLS – Sun International books tourists in South Africa on a South African Airways package. The European tourist lands in Joburg. Does his thing there and then get on the next leg to Livingstone (direct from Joburg). Stays in their hotel there and is prevented from doing anything outside of the hotel (they use fear tactics – the monkeys will get you). At best the money spent in Zambia are the tips for the waiters and the wooden masks bought at the falls but even that is restricted – to date Zambian waiters at the Sun do not get their tips (ask HH he is the Chairman).
This disease started in Zambia – from Congo
#38 haha, You sound to have credible information about this disease. Please let us know more about it.
Hi CX. Jx here
I don’t stories from RSA. They even had a minute of silence over LPM before he died. Are they trying to make prophesies. No it must be the langolians. Close your eyes on those planes going to RSA.
August: A polo cross tournament brought horses over from DRC. Cecilia was playing in that tournament. It is possible that a tick could have been brought in in this way. Cecilia is keen on horses and regularly gets tick bites. She also sustained an injury to her foot.
September 4th: Cecilia developed flue-like prodrome
September 6-8: Cecilia and some friends attended a wedding in SA and many people at the wedding developed D&V, all the others recovered fully as would be expected from food poisoning
September 9-11: Cecelia continued to deteriorate and her sister, Magda, took her to see numerous doctors at numerous hospitals in Lusaka trying to get help. Sepsis was diagnosed by a doctor on the 9th, given a cephalosporin, then the antibiotic was stopped on the 10th because a doctor noticed a rash and decided it was a drug reaction (?allergy to penicillin’s).
On the 11th another doctor made the diagnosis of sepsis again, ? meningitis as she was now confused. Antibiotics were recommenced. She was admitted to hospital where her SpO2 was reported by the nurse to be below 70% at times during the night. She was not intubated at that time.
September 12: Magda found out about the low SpO2 and decided to call SES. Hannes was the paramedic on duty and took her to the Trust hospital as he was concerned about her clinical condition. She has a generalized convulsion shortly after arriving at the Trust Hospital.
She was intubated by the Trust Anaesthetist . Shrtly after the intubation I arrived and took responsibility for her transfer to Johannesburg. She was sedated and ventilated for the transfer. Her clinical condition revealed septic shock with severe perfusion deficit, hypotension, ARDS clinically with SpO2 95% on 100% O2.
Her flight was uneventful other than short periods of SpO2 85%.
Mr. Minister there is no driver who is in a crtical condition. Staff from the Morningside Clinic have said apart from the three deaths there is nobody else who has been affected. Even the cause of the death of a cleaner at Morningside Clinic who died shortly after is unrelated to the mysterious disease.
I don’t understand here in South Africa they are reporting that the first victim was Zambian and how come people are just dying here and not in Zambia. And this disease sounds like ibola.
Somebody better come up with real answers to this mysterious disease.
vote hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
There is some probability that this disease could have been imported judging from the fact the first victim was a Travel agency expertriate.She or he may have come come into contract with people from various destinations including countries where this disease is endermic.
However GRZ should not relax in its effort of trying to get to the bottom of the matter and finding solutions to this problem.This disease does sound deadly
Haha, your data is convincing.
The minister must learn more from you infact as a starting point in their investigations. I have no doubt that what you are saying is true. You seem to have to have followed the events with the much needed attention unlike the minister who apparently is quick to issue statement without checking facts.
Infact, I listened to the early morning edition news today where it is stated that two new deaths have been reported at the same clinic with victim being the relatives of the late nurse who nursed the the tour guide.
haha or who ever you are, you seem to have insider info. You juggle medical language like you use it every day and your narration of events tallies with that of the infectious diseases community. If you are a doctor, I hope those names are not real. Haemorrhagic fevers are notifiable diseases, not the names of the patients or medical staff involved.
Since you are so very smart, all we want to know is whether this is
1.) Marburg disease
2.) Ebola virus
3.) A yet to be identified tick-borne disease or
4.) An entirely new virus that has jumped species (a zoonosis).
#56 You sound prejudiced. Haha has not identifid himself as a medical doctor per se. He is merely sharing valuable info for the benefit of you and me. Its people like you who do not appreciate the power of info and remain backwards for eternity. To ask Haha to qualify the disease is uncalled for as people are still investigating this disease that has so far claimed lives. For you information, blood samples have since been sent to USA for tests and until then, the disease is still a mystery.
Sorry Zambians, this disease is meant for politicians only reasons been, if politicians die its the only way you will see development and progress.
Just wait and see Hon Hipo………….will be the next one then followed by Hon Corrupt ………
Ed… #53, I like your line of thinking.. if only a couple more could be that broad minded. It is also important to find out the last few places she had visited.. whom she was in contact with, & their current medical status..
Mwe bantu, jst because the first victim was resident in lusaka does NOT necessarily mean that the disease ORIGINATED here. We need detailed information.
Part of the story from SA NEWS
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was working with health officials in South Africa to investigate the cause, she said.
Pelser also said it had been confirmed that the cleaner who worked for a contract company at the hospital did not die from the viral fever.
“She died of a neurological illness. It has been established that she was not near the patient,” said Pelser.
The first casualty who succumbed to the viral disease was a 36-year-old woman who was airlifted from Zambia to the Morningside Medi-Clinic in Sandton on September 12.
She was treated for tick-bite fever and other potential infections but died two days later.
A Za
A Zambian paramedic who had accompanied her into the country died last week and a nurse at the Morningside Medi-Clinic died on Sunday. The cleaner also died on Sunday.
Pelser said the incubation period for the disease was between 72 hours and 21 days.
“We know that it is not airborne and is contracted through the bodily fluids of the infected person,” she said.
Symptoms include high fever, muscle aches and pains, diarrhoea and a rash.
#56 I am not a medic and this information has not been generated by me however its extremely reliable. It has pretty much been distributed to the muzungu population in Zambia – its how they keep health…they look out for each other. I dont know if the names are fake or real but since this is no laughing matter, I do hope they are real so that any Zambians that have been in contact with these dead people get treatment. As I mentioned earlier, alot of whiteys have already been checked – we are still counting bananas and pointing fingers!!!!
Kwanza (#57), you should change your name to Matako. I am not against the dissemination of information. I am against disclosing the names of people in a process that I understand to be one of privalege and confidentiality.
Tell us, for instance, why you are not using your real name here on this forum if you believe in the wholesale freedom of information? Would you like your name paraded through the internet as the person who died of some deadly disease. I think not? How does knowing the exact names of the people involved help to deal with the challenge at hand? It doesn’t AT ALL.
So please think with the proper organ, not with your buttakoz
#63. We have a problem at hand and lives are being lost. I will respect your contribution and wouldn`t want to hit back on issues that are straight forward. You sound so vulgar but then I forgive you in the interest of constructive understanding.
# 63 you are being paranoid and naive. HAHA your info is so valuable and we do appreciate it. Your articulation makes alot of sense, keep on the good work.
HAHA thanx for the sequence of events. You hovewr say you are not a doctor but following your writings you will find that at one point you say i arrived and took responsibility of her flight. My brother automatically that statement put you on the scene. So what were you doing there if you are not a doctor? just food for thought. However we do appreciate your info and the way you put it is superb. # 63 YOU ARE A SELF CENTRED MAN WITH NO BRAINS
We talking one whitey who probably slept with a horse. There’s no threat here. We are fine.
The woman has sex with a chimpanzee i can ssure you..It aint our problem..we are kool
The thing is,how did they come to the understanding that this bulwele originated from here without even seeking an understanding of this lady’s travel manners,or the people that had been in contact with her and where they might have been from…..we should be cautious yes….but south african officials did not do a good job by just declaring that it came from zambia.coz among other things,this if ,later proved to be false,could lead to not detecting the source and causes of the desease as early coz experts could have looking in the wrong places…..
by God i hope they handle it professionally….
The reporting system in Zambia is still very poor and more over Zambians especially in rural areas do not access medical facilities due to poverty and “credit cruch”.
This why we need a robust leader come 1st November to change the way things are done and improve peoples lives.
Twakana abachenjeshi
whats wrong with us.. does everything have to be sexual. are we such a low thinking perverted country.
These are serious issues.
when something does go wrong , you will run to the same whiteys you are insulting, because your sangoma will be of no use. or he will tell you to go shag a horse to get cured.
These jokes about the dead woman are pathetic. This is beginning to sound and more like ebola. It’s also transmitted through body fluids like sweat etc.
So if you get a flu. Start drinking your urine. It’s the only medicine. Infact, just start drinking your urine, it also prevents ebola.
“….more over Zambians especially in rural areas do not access medical facilities due to poverty and “credit cruch”.”
I didn’t realise we are facing the sub-prime morgage crisis here as well. Don’t use words anyhow.
Iwe Chosani how does the “credit cruch” affect people in rural areas when it hasn’t even filtered through to urban areas,the credit system here is different from the one in the USA…..this ,by far, is there specific problem and will only filter to us if the bail out fails to work and start affecting their demand for products from countries like china where our raw materials are exported…..mwilatubepa ala……
Ala ci Luphiah Banda cala teka…
“…..this ,by far, is there specific problem and will only filter to us if the bail out fails to work and start affecting their demand for products from countries like china where our raw materials are exported…..”
Don’t forget to mention that if this happens then we can benefit by increased prices on the commodity we export.
iwe chi number 63 what kanama are you. Jealousy is written all over you. Haha has done his homework and you are envious of him so you start dissing him, mwe bena Zambia what is wrong with you. That is why they are saying this woman is Zambian when not because we dont think.We always dont want good things to be from Zambia. Dont be a better man by bringing another down. Just be better than the best.I hope you dont have Ebola Virus because your thinking looks like symptoms of Ebola. You must go to the nearest hospital for chekup
WRONG PLACE BUT ………… IS ANYONE INTERESTED TO BUY A PLOT IN LILAYI, LILAYI AREA. AM SELLING 1,1ACRE FOR K150,000,O00. SHARED BOREHOLE. 10 MINUTES WALK FROM KAFUE ROAD.
Haha is right on spot… this infor has been circulated to mainly the muzungu community.
I think mornington or morningside clinic will start refusing patients from Zambia. Sad for the dead people. Let’s hope tourists will not be scared of zed where they can’t have good medical facilities.
The only serious issue here is that the govt of RSA has dented our image once again. No one here is affected by this silly horse disease that this lady got from shagging a horse. Come on guys if there was a contegious disease like they say we would have seen it. She died due to shagging a horse period!
Hey everyone, i read every1 blog and jip some of u have great asumptions, alot of u seem to have an idea as to the cause of virus,i dont c md afther ur names,listen guys,people died,i dont need to say more on that so symphaty,and haha,ur dirty witeys joke,is so old,u sound smart,so dont be pathetic,for every action,there is a reaction stand together for once
am not very sure we have competent personel and equipment to really find the root cause. whats worrying is that alot of people have developed flu symptoms with high fever body aches can someone tell us what is causing this bad flu
#21 when you say very close contact what exactly are you trying to say do you think what i am thinking. These SOUTHAFRICANS are just making sure tourist dont come here. The tour guide must have got the virus from the horses that came from DRC. It also goes to show how controls of animal movement in Zambia is non existant, too many laxed laws in our country all in the name of liberisation!
WE SHOULD ALL BE AFRAID…VERY, VERY, VERY AFRAID!!!
Pipo, i think this mysterious Disease was probably intentionally produced in the lab… such things dont jus come anyhow!!! this is so life threatening
Kaya!
HaHa’s information is right,even here in Europa some “Dirty whitey”know,you sound intelligent so why mention the whitey thing?? The disease is not about colour,everyone could get it,but for some reason only the ones we know of did get it,while she did meet lots of more people? I dont think it will spread out.HaHa when you once will visit my country I would treat you as equal and you would be my quest,The country where I live have got lots of coloured people,I dont call them “Blackeys either”
Together as One
Dirty whitey! That makes2of us,im sick of race crap and wish everyone would get over it! Im flyin 50 odd tourists into zambia this weekend and wil make the best of it!
50 tourists? that’s great we need their money, just ensure to tell them that the whitey disease being reported has nothing to do with Zambia though i notice the white community here is really in panic. doctor bush has made alot of buck testing all them whities for a common cold. the race crap as you refer to it is championed by the whities.
I know you’re right about that and I’m ashamed of lots of people who doesn’t think we are all one,but if we dont change ourself nothing will change at all,think of the fact that not everybody think like that and that there are good people in every colour among us!!
The disease is concerning everybody,rich or poor,young and old,white and black and yellow if you like,but I rather would like to say African,European,Chinese,English.The woman who died first did feel sick but after she came back from a wedding in South Africa,as far as I know there was not any horse from Congo came into Zambia and it sound also weird,such a great distance with 40 degrees all the way from Congo to Lusaka.
August: A polo cross tournament brought horses over from DRC. Cecilia was playing in that tournament. It is possible that a tick could have been brought in in this way. Cecilia is keen on horses and regularly gets tick bites. She also sustained an injury to her foot.
September 4th: Cecilia developed flue-like prodrome
September 6-8: Cecilia and some friends attended a wedding in SA and many
God help us
#8. we’re together on this one. if the disease originated from zambia why hasn’t any zambian suffered or worse died from it. South Africa should investigate this further instead of pointing fingers as it usually does. need i mention of the xenophobia attacks. that was more finger pointing from South Africa. if i had the chance to tell south africa something, id say this stop blaming other people for you own misgivings, stand up and take responsibilty for your actions and what happens in your country!!!!!!
IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT THE DISEASES ORIGINATED FROM ZAMBIA. LT DON’T REPORT AS IF YOU ARE SOUTH AFRICAN. SA HAS AN AGENDA SO PLEASE PROTECT ZAMBIA’S INTEREST AS WELL. IT IS ALL LOGIC HERE, THE WOMAN WAS HERE SUNDAY FOR A WEDDING AND WENT BACK TO ZAMBIA AND BECOME SICK. REMEMBER SHE LIVES IN ZAMBIA. THUS IT WAS WHEN SHE MOVED OUT OF ZAMBIA THAT IS WHEN SHE BECAME SICK. IF THE OUT BREAK WAS IN ZAMBIA, AM SURE WE WERE ALL GOING TO KNOW. SOUTH AFRICA DOES NOT KNOW ALSO BUT THEY WANT TO RUSH AND BLAME ZAMBIANS. THAT IS WHAT BULLIES DO, THEY DON’T WANT TO ACCEPT THAT THEY DON’T KNOW!!!!! I PRAY FOR THE WOMAN AND PLEASE LET HER AND HER FAMILY HAVE PEACE
we will be fine.