problem importing Python module

When I issue any yum command, I receive the following error:

********
# yum update
There was a problem importing one of the Python modules
required to run yum. The error leading to this problem was:

   /usr/lib/python2.5/lib-dynload/zlibmodule.so: undefined symbol:
inflateCopy

Please install a package which provides this module, or
verify that the module is installed correctly.

It's possible that the above module doesn't match the
current version of Python, which is:
2.5 (r25:51908, Nov  6 2007, 16:54:01)
[GCC 4.1.2 20070925 (Red Hat 4.1.2-27)]

If you cannot solve this problem yourself, please go to
the yum faq at:
  http://wiki.linux.duke.edu/YumFaq

*******
if from the python interpreter i issue import yum, i get this message:

******
>>> import yum
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 37, in
<module>
    import rpmsack
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/yum/rpmsack.py", line 20, in
<module>
    from rpmUtils import miscutils
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/rpmUtils/miscutils.py", line 20, in
<module>
    import gzip
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/gzip.py", line 9, in <module>
    import zlib
ImportError: /usr/lib/python2.5/lib-dynload/zlibmodule.so: undefined symbol:
inflateCopy
**************

I'm running Fedora release 7 (Moonshine).

I would appreciate any help you can give me.  I was thinking that the
Package Manager in the Fedora desktop is based on yum, but it seems to be
working okay.

Thanks,
Nick

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