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Zambia investigated and cleared two suspected cases of Ebola after laboratory tests came back negative.
The country’s health ministry announced the results late Friday as it intensifies screening and surveillance for the deadly viral disease.
Officials launched the heightened response following a severe outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which creates a high risk of the virus crossing the border.
The current outbreak in the DRC stems from the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a variation for which no vaccine currently exists.
Congolese authorities reported on Friday that the number of suspected cases has risen to 1,028, while health officials have also detected cases in Uganda.
The Bundibugyo strain, first identified nearly 20 years ago in a Ugandan province, deeply alarms experts because it spread undetected across a densely populated area, severely complicating efforts to trace and isolate infected contacts.
In response to the threat, Zambia developed specific screening tools and protocols to catch potential infections early.
Border officials and medical staff are actively using these tools to screen travellers at all entry points into Zambia, as well as residents within the country who exhibit Ebola-like symptoms.
According to the World Health Organisation, the virus initially triggers sudden flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea, internal and external bleeding, and multi-organ failure.
