Mysterious Deaths Not Caused by Lassa Fever, Says Kogi Govt

The Kogi State government saturday
revealed that those who died from a
mysterious disease in the state were not
victims of Lassa fever.



The state government also said it would
investigate and count the number of
grave sites of those affected to determine
the actual number of people who died as
a result of the mysterious disease
suspected to be gastroenteritis and
malaria.


Addressing newsmen in Lokoja saturday,
the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka
Audu, dispelled the rumour of 62 people
killed by
alleged strange ailment in Yagba West
Local Government Area of the state, saying
it was the
initial information given by the Fulani
leader in the villages.



He further disclosed that the epidemic
started six weeks ago at Okunran,
Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa all in Yagba West
local government and appealed for calm
from the people, saying the state is
addressing the situation.



According to Audu the disease was not a
case of Lassa fever, as laboratory tests
carried out on
the patients by medical experts drafted to
the community proved negative. He said
those so far
diagnosed were found to be suffering
from gastroenteritis and Malaria.



“The current information available to us is
that the strange 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.


Source-Voplink