No strange disease in Kwara —Govt

THE Kwara State government has denied reports of deaths from a strange disease in some parts of the state.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Friday, the  Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Sulaiman Alege, said the government had already commenced investigation into the matter.

The commissioner said mortality arising from a disease or its outbreak must be properly confirmed before any information is released.

According to him, there is no confirmation of any mysterious disease in the state.

“Mortality of any disease or outbreak must be properly confirmed and we confirmed from all the centres and hospitals around there, none of them had been able to confirm mortality as a result of any disease. The mortality rate can not be determined and we are not sure of it now.

“The alleged outbreak of a disease at Oro-Ago started as a rumour and when we heard of it, we immediately deployed our response team which comprises of the epidemiology team of the Ministry of Health which consist of the state epidemiologists, director of public health, disease surveillance notification officer and disease surveillance and notification officer for the local government.

“The report started at Gaa Olokuta at Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state close to Oke Ode. The state epidemiologists went there and asked the residents of the community but they could not confirm any outbreak of any disease or mortality of any case.

“Along the line, we heard another rumour and, immediately, the state epidemiologists summoned the local government epidemiologists and they took samples even though the community denied the outbreak of any disease. As a state, whenever there is an outbreak or not, we immediately set up an emergency operation centre just like what we did when we had cholera outbreak.

“This outbreak needs to follow normal surveillance system because without proper confirmation of a case, we cannot say that there is an outbreak. So, We went to Oro-Ago when we got the report with our team and the WHO and we met the Fulanis, the local government chairman, traditional rulers on ground,” Alege said.

He added that “Samples were taken from patients that day and we have sent them to virological centre in Lagos and we are expecting the result and once the result is ready, we will let the whole world know the outcome.

“Basically, for now, we still see it as a rumour because the WHO went there and no such thing as a strange disease happened within the communities.

“The disease that are very common in the areas and quoted by the officer in the area are yellow fever, malaria and diarrhoea. For now, it is still at that basis and at that level but we will still continue with our investigation.

“The governor has directed immediate deployment of medical officers to the area. We have pulled medical officers from Offa and Ilorin general hospitals and heallth officers from the ministry to the area and they will be there soonest. All the supportive system would be given for proper surveillance. The state has the best response system in the country.”