The result of the test samples Kogi State’s Government sent in for medical examination, after a mysterious disease killed 62 people in the State is out and the disease has been identified.
The State’s commissioner of health, Dr Saka Audu who spoke to newsmen on results of the unknown disease that killed many people in Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West Local Government Area, said the disease has been diagnosed to be gastroenteritis and therefore called for calmness.
“ 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.”
“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.
He also stressed that the disease was not Lassa fever, saying the result of samples taken from the patients to Irua General Hospital for investigation proved negative.
On the 62 persons earlier reported to have died, the commissioner said the figure was given by local leaders in the affected areas and was yet to be verified by government.
“We will investigate and trace the dead people to the grave yard and come up with the correct figure.”
