Strange disease kills over 50 in Kogi communities

No fewer than 50 people have been confirmed killed by an outbreak of a strange disease in three communities of Kogi State.

The affected communities were Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa all in Yagba west local government, Kogi west senatorial district of the state.

The disease, which was still being studied with samples sent to the laboratory, was said to have broken out about three weeks ago with the state government being informed last week.

Government was said to have sent technical team to take the samples, which were sent to General Hospital Irua, Edo State, for definitive investigation.

The Obalohun of Okoloke community, Oba J.D Ogunyanda, who briefed the state commissioner for health, Dr Saka Audu, who was in the communities, said the outbreak, was first noticed about three weeks ago and the administrator of the local government was immediately notified.

Mostly affected by the outbreak were the fulani inhabited areas of the communities.

The leader of the Fulani settlement, Damina Ibrahim, told newsmen that the outbreak started about three weeks ago with children and adult mostly affected.

The symptoms of the disease, according to him, were stooling and vomiting with stain of blood, and hot temperature, saying they were using herbs to treat then at first.

He explained further that when they started recording too many deaths, victims were rushed to the hospital, where the doctors could not ascertain the cause of their illness, saying some of them died in the hospital, while some were discharged without any cure.

He said, “We have lost over 50 people and we are still having some of our sick ones at home.”

Also, a Consultant at the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) Hospital Egbe, Dr Jannette Hathorn, said a child of two and half years was brought to the hospital which later died after 12 hours.

“We had definitely had misleading news about patients bleeding around, so we tried to make diagnosis for viral hemorrhagic fever (Lassa fever), but the lab results came out negative.

“We are sure it is not Lassa fever but on the other hand, our concern is that we do not know exactly the cause of what was happening. We had a differential but we never came to a definitive diagnosis.

“Two other adult patients were also brought, one presented with ulcer-viral illness but there was no bleeding component of any hemorrhagic symptom. We isolated them and both of them were treated for malaria. So, when they started improving, we let them go.

“But our concern was another parent who brought their child to the hospital and pleaded with us for help that about 40 to 50 people had died in their villages with similar symptoms as their child in the last three weeks.

However, the commissioner, who visited the communities on Wednesday, said he was around to assess the situation, disclosing that the state government would be responsible for the treatment of those affected.

He said, “We are here to assess the situation about the incidence that had claimed the lives of so many people in this community and surrounding villages.

“We are here to make sure we determine the cause of these mysterious deaths and then quickly proffer a solution to it. From this stage now, the government has taken full responsibility to take care of those who are already ill and to make sure that we arrest the spread of this disease.

“As part of the policies of this Government, irrespective of the remote location of the community; we must make sure that we take health care to the door steps of the rural dwellers.

“For this reason, we have taken out the pain to reach out to the people of these communities at this time of need. We want to reassure them that the government is with them always and that whatever happens, the government will take the responsibility.

“For now, it is cleared and has been confirmed that it is not Lassa fever, but whatever it is, we will carry out further investigation with information we have with us now and come up with definitive diagnosis.”