A MYSTERY disease has claimed the lives of four people in Nigeria, with a local official warning that “children are at risk”.
The disease is being investigated by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Nigerian CDC), after doctors have so far been unable to identify it.
The outbreak that hit the northwestern state of Zamfara caused infected patients to suffer from swelling, fluid in the abdomen, enlarged liver and spleen and general flu-like symptoms including fever and general weakness of the body.
At least 177 people are believed to have been infected.
The source of the outbreak is believed to have been water in the village of Tsibiri.
It has since spread to several other villages, including Maradun, Shinkafi and Gusau.
Details of the unknown disease were disclosed in a local government statement, seen on Newspaper puncha Nigerian daily newspaper.
Aisha Anka, Minister of State for Health, said: “Children are the most affected and cases are associated with water consumption.”
“So far four deaths have been recorded and 177 cases have been detected.
The Ministry of Health is currently in the emergency response phase to identify the diseases and causes.
“Several human and animal biological samples, soil samples, water samples, agricultural and food samples were taken to laboratories in Lagos and Abuja for analysis.”
“The ministry will continue to update the general public and all relevant stakeholders and partners on any updates on the outbreak,” she added.
It turns out that 45 people have died in the village of Gundutse in Kano State – a little east of Zamfara – due to a mysterious illness.
It is still unclear whether this deadly disease, which has claimed the lives of women, children and the elderly, is the same one currently wreaking havoc in Zamfara.
At the height of this mysterious disease, the Gundutse village community is believed to be burying up to five people daily.
The ‘mysterious’ disease that left almost 100 girls paralyzed
Dozens of girls in Kenya, believed to be suffering from a paralyzing “disease”, have fallen victim to hysteria, authorities have said.
More than 100 students were suddenly gunned down in September 2023 at an all-girls school in Musoli, 374 kilometers northwest of Nairobi.
Alarming images circulating online apparently showed students struggling to walk and shaking uncontrollably.
But local authorities have now said that the mysterious surge in cases was actually triggered by hysteria.
They blamed students’ anxiety over the upcoming end-of-year exams
Lassa fever
Nigeria is currently experiencing an outbreak of Lassa fever, with more than 150 deaths recorded in the country this year, after hundreds of people died from the disease in 2023.
Lassa fever is a disease caused by the Lassa virus, which is listed on the World Health Organization’s list of notorious pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential.
It is known to be endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria, but it probably also exists in other West African countries.
Three cases were reported in Britain in 2022 in a family who returned to Bedfordshire from West Africa, with a newborn baby tragically dying from the virus.
The virus causes headaches, weakness, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and sore throat.
In severe cases, it can cause bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth and other openings of the body, as well as breathing problems, facial swelling, chest pain and shock.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
