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Zambia has seen an upsurge in respiratory infections, recording 4,770 COVID-19 cases and one death from influenza cumulatively between January and June of this year.
According to Health Minister, Sylvia Masebo, the country also recorded 35 influenza cases, representing nine percent of the 373 samples collected.
In a ministerial statement to Parliament on Friday, Masebo noted that it was expected to see an increase in respiratory infections during this time of the year when the weather is cool and dry.
She highlighted the top five districts reporting cases: Chingola with 478, Lusaka with 451, Kabwe with 433, Kalulushi with 213, and Chililabombwe with 196.
“We have continued to separately monitor the COVID-19 trends and have seen a slight increase in the weekly positivity of samples being tested for COVID-19, from 1.5 percent to 2.8 percent,” Masebo stated.
She reported that the most recent data indicate that out of 322 samples tested for COVID-19, nine, or 2.8 percent, were positive.
Between May and June, the Ministry tested 3,070 samples, with 74, or 2.4 percent, testing positive. Of these, 43 were from Lusaka, 9 from Copperbelt, 7 from Southern, 6 each from Central and Luapula, 2 from Eastern, and 1 from Northern.
Masebo expressed happiness that Muchinga and Western provinces did not record any positive cases.
Regarding influenza, Masebo said that over the last four weeks, 35 out of 373 samples collected from surveillance sites in Chipata, Livingstone, Lusaka, Nakonde, Ndola, and Solwezi were positive for influenza.
Specifically, 21 (six percent) were positive for H1N1, 12 (3 percent) for H3N2, and 2 (0.5 percent) for influenza B.
Of the 35 positive samples, the majority were from persons aged 18-49, while 13 were under 5, and none were from individuals over 50 years old.
One death from influenza was reported at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka.
She assured that surveillance and disease intelligence teams under the Ministry would continue to conduct routine surveillance of diseases of public health significance.
“Further, we have surveillance of influenza in selected sites under the National Influenza Centre operating under the University Teaching Hospital Virology Laboratory. These sites are Chipata, Livingstone, Lusaka, Nakonde, Ndola, and Solwezi,” Masebo said.
She disclosed that the Ministry had also activated the detection of these viruses and other pathogens at the University Teaching Hospital using a multi-disease diagnostic platform.
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