The Kogi state government has identified the mysterious disease which was earlier speculated to be Lassa Fever in the state.
Recall that the disease has been reported to have killed not less than 62 persons in the state. However, the Kogi State government has identified the disease after the results of test samples collected for medical examination surfaced.
The State’s commissioner of health, Dr. Saka Audu, while speaking on the disease epidemic which had wiped out several persons in the state disclosed that the residents of Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West Local Government Area who fell victim were killed by a disease diagnosed to be gastroenteritis.
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.”
He further added: “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.”
The state’s health commissioner further stressed that the disease was not Lassa fever as earlier speculated adding that the test samples were taken from patients to Irua General Hospital for investigation proved negative.
