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LUSAKA - Health authorities in Zambia on Friday confirmed an outbreak of conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, with 1,500 cases reported so far.

Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said the contagious eye disease was first reported at a school in eastern Zambia's Mambwe District on March 7, with a number of students suffering from pink eyes accompanied by excessive tearing, itching, and irritation.

She said samples collected from pupils and laboratory analysis have confirmed it was a viral infection of the covering of the eye.

The minister noted that cases have also been reported in some districts in the northern part of Zambia and that about 1,500 cases have been recorded in the country, with the highest number in the eastern part of the country at 1,303.

Conjunctivitis is a viral/bacterial disease and its symptoms include inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball, redness, itching, and discharge from the eye.

Masebo said in a ministerial statement presented in the parliament that the eye infection is highly contagious and can be spread through contact with the eye secretions of an infected person.

"The public, including those affected, must not panic. While the transmission is very high, it is self-limiting and will not affect the eyesight of the affected."

She urged people to take preventive measures such as not sharing towels or washcloths, not sharing eye makeup, and not touching or rubbing eyes.