Publications by authors named "Muzala Kapin'a"
Detection of B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 Variant Strain - Zambia, December 2020.
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
February 2021
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19 cases in Zambia began in March 2020, with a significant rise starting in mid-December, particularly after the identification of the B.1.351 variant strain from South Africa.
- The B.1.351 variant, linked to increased transmissibility, spread quickly from South Africa to other countries, including Zambia, causing a dramatic surge in cases.
- By January 10, 2021, Zambia experienced a 16-fold increase in daily COVID-19 cases, from 44 to 700, coinciding with the presence of the B.1.351 variant in the region.
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has rapidly spread worldwide.
- Initially, African countries had low COVID-19 cases, but travel links led to the emergence of new cases, like the one identified in Zambia shortly after a traveler returned from France.
- Phylogenomic analysis revealed the strain in Zambia belonged to lineage B.1.1 and emphasized the importance of whole genome sequencing in monitoring the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 across Africa.
Outbreaks of plague have been recognized in Zambia since 1917 (1). On April 10, 2015, Zambia's Ministry of Health was notified by the Eastern Provincial Medical Office of possible bubonic plague cases in Nyimba District. Eleven patients with acute fever and cervical lymphadenopathy had been evaluated at two rural health centers during March 28-April 9, 2015; three patients died.
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