Tests conducted at a laboratory in South Africa have shown that the man who died in Karonga last week did not have Ebola.
The Ministry of Health says the tests conducted in South Africa on samples taken from the 37-year-old man shows that he did not succumb to Ebola. 
“We did take samples and indeed the test has come back negative for Ebola. That is good news for Malawi and that is what we have been telling people that we put all our energy together to make sure that we protect the nation,” said Ministry of Health and Population chief of health services Charles Mwansambo.
The man who was not identified had fever, facial swelling and some bleeding in the eyes, nose and mouth. Health workers said he died of bacterial infection.
However, it was still feared that the man died of Ebola.
His body was buried on Saturday night by health workers from Karonga hospital after his relatives refused to get the body suspecting that the person had Ebola.
The Ebola virus is spread through direct contact with vomit blood, faeces or bodily fluids of an Ebola patient.
It can take days before its symptoms are noted on human beings which include extreme fever, vomiting blood and diarrhoea.
An ongoing Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – which shares a border with Malawi’s neighbour Tanzania – has killed more than 2,000 people to date.
