Another strange sickness kills 4 in Benue, 15 hospitalised

- Another strange sickness is currently ravaging parts of Benue state

- Health officials have claimed that while at least four persons have died due to the sickness, 15 others have been hospitalised

- The state commissioner for health, Sunday Ongbabo, said that a call for help has been made to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

About four persons have been confirmed dead with not less than 15 others receiving treatment in the Oye-Obi in Obi local government area of Benue state.

According to Andyson Egbodo, the new president of Igede national youths council, each of the deceased showed the same symptoms which are headache, internal heat, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness of the body and swollen stomach, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Speaking on Wednesday, January 29, Egbodo said that a medical team has been sent to the local government area to tackle the disease and prevent its spread.

He said: “We are not resting on our part in the area of mass mobilisation and awareness campaign on how to prevent its spread.

“Our investigation reveals that about 15 persons as at today, Wednesday, Jan. 29, are already down with the same symptoms, some of them have already been moved to the General Hospital, Oju.”

On his part, the state commissioner for health, Sunday Ongbabo, said that the dispatched medical team, are still trying to ascertain if the sickness is Lassa fever or any other known disease.

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Ongbabo said that a call has been made to the federal government through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to come to their aid.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the first case of Lassa fever had been detected in Benue. This was disclosed by the chief medical director of Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Profesor Terlumun Swede on Tuesday, January 28.

Professor Swende, who spoke through the chairman, medical advisory committee of BSUTH, Professor Olusanya Alao, said the victim is a 40-year-old woman from Okpoga in Okpokwu local government area of the state.

The hospital management further disclosed that the woman is now on Anti-Retroviral (ARV) pills, adding that she is responding to treatment.

“She presented with symptoms and features suggestive of fever that was not abating following routine treatment for malaria and other common infections, so we took her samples and sent for Lasser fever investigation and the result came out confirmed as Lasser fever and we are currently treating her,” he revealed.

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Source: Legit.ng