Sokoto: Strange Illness Claims 8 Lives, 208 Cases Identified

Following an outbreak of a strange illness in Sokoto state, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has so far confirmed eight deaths and over 208 suspected new cases.

This was disclosed yesterday at an interactive session with officials of the state Ministry of Health by the
Manager of the centre, Dr. Ibrahim Usman.

Usman noted that the incident happened in Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas of the state.

He said prompt measures were taken by NCDC and the state government to control the spread of the yet-to-be-identified disease as samples were taken to NCDC laboratories for analysis.

He stated the illness manifested with symptoms of abdominal disorder, feverish condition, vomiting, and sudden weight loss.

The state Deputy Governor, Idris Gobir, had recently told the visiting Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, that the strange disease had killed many in the Isa Local Government Area of the state.

Gobir urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, do the needful to identify and curtail the continued spread of the disease to other areas of the state.

He said the state government had already dispatched a team of experts with medicaments to ascertain the situation and provide first aid to victims, who have contracted the disease.

The NCDC has so far deployed a National Rapid Response Team, NRRT, to work with the Ministry of Health to further investigate the matter.