Kogi Reveals Name Of Strange Disease as Gastroenteritis

KOGI - Commissioner for Health in Kogi state, Saka Audu, in a statement released yesterday, revealed the name of the strange disease that has so far killed 62 persons in the state to be gastroenteritis, and called for calm in the state.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lokoja that those so far diagnosed were found to be suffering from gastroenteritis and malaria.

The state Ministry of Health, had in a statement, said the disease killed many people at Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West Local Government Area. He said: “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 made it known to the public that the disease was not Lassa fever, explaining that all the patients diagonised were negative of Lassa fever.

Audu said: “We will investigate and trace the dead people to the grave yard and come up with the correct figure. “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.”