The rampaging unknown disease which has killed many people in Kogi state has been diagnosed to be gastroenteritis.
It is reported that more than 62 persons have been killed in two
weeks when the situation came to limelight, but Kogi State Commissioner
for Health, Dr Saka Audu, said on Sunday that the casualty is
exaggerated.
He said the figure was given by local leaders in the affected areas and was yet to be verified by government.
“We will investigate and trace the dead people to the grave yard and come up with the correct figure,’’ he said.
He called for calmness, in an interview with the News Agency of
Nigeria in Lokoja as the disease has been traced to be gastroenteritis
and malaria.
The state Ministry of Health, had in a statement, said that the
disease killed many people in Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba
West Local Government Area.
“The current information available to us is that the disease
actually started six weeks ago in Okoloke village in Yagba West, which
is a settlement that is predominantly inhabited by Fulani herdsmen.
“There have been cases of reported deaths following abdominal
pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, but the patients who showed signs of
illness had since been evacuated and transported to Kogi State
Specialist Hospital Lokoja, for better treatment.
“So far, we have evacuated 39 patients from Okoloke area and
only six of them were admitted and have shown significant sign of
improvement while others have since been discharged.
“Out of the six that were admitted, three of them were
diagnosed of gastroenteritis and the remaining three were just cases of
malaria, and they have shown remarkable signs of improvement,” Audu said.
He also stressed that the disease was not Lassa fever, saying the
result of samples taken from the patients to Irua General Hospital for
investigation proved negative.
“We want to assure the general public that government is doing all
that is humanly possible to stay on top of the situation and forestall
further loss of lives.
“We will continue to inform the public as the investigation progresses,’’ Audu said.
-NAN