STRANGE DISEASE: Delta Government Reveals Cause Of Deaths
The Delta State government has announced the causes of strange deaths occurring across the state, Vanguard reported.
The government on Friday said it had disclosed the cause of death of more than 30 young people in the communities of Ute Okpu, Ute Erumu and Idumes in the local government area in northeastern Ica state, saying the deaths were caused by yellow fever.
State Health Commissioner Dr Mordi Ononye, who made the announcement during a press briefing, said laboratory results from the samples collected indicate a long-standing illness.
Together with Information Commissioner Mr Charles Aniagwu and Chief Executive Officer of Management Office Mr Eugene Uzum, Ononye, however, explained that the results would be further confirmed in the region’s laboratory. citing Dakar, Senegal, where samples were also sent.
Listen to him: “Samples were taken from patients and sent to the laboratory. We got the results, and the results show that yellow fever is the cause of the deaths we’ve heard about in these regions.
“This result is helping us move towards more decisive action while we await final authentication at the Regional Reference Laboratory in Dakar.”
Stating that 22 deaths from the disease have been reported and seven more have been processed at the Federal Medical Center in Asaba, he assured that there was no cause for concern.
Ononye said the state government is working with health agencies to strengthen measures to contain the spread of the disease.
He said: “We have started immediate action to respond to the outbreak. As we speak, we have informed the Nigerian Centers for Disease Control, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, who usually work with us, so they sent teams to support us.
“We are taking clear steps to respond effectively. We assure residents that everything possible is being done to prevent escalation.
“Previously, the yellow fever prevention campaign was planned to start on November 20, we are moving it closer so that we can cope with what lies ahead,” he added.
Persistence of this yellow fever usually presents with much more bizarre symptoms than malaria, Ononye said; “Some patients have fever, body aches, headaches, and vomiting with or without blood. Some people start bleeding from the nose or mouth. Some of those who have just had seizures, and some are recovering very well without even going to the hospital. “
As a reminder, more than 30 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 have died of a strange illness in the Ute-Okpu, Ute-Erumu and Idumes communities in the area over the past three weeks. The event prompted Gov. Ifeani Okow to order the state health ministry to step in and uncover the strange disease.
