57 reportedly killed as strange disease breaks out in Enugu

A strange disease has reprotedly killed 57 people in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu state.

The deaths were recorded from Umuokpu, Ete and Ogwurugwu communities in the last one month.

It is not immediately clear the cause of the deaths.

It was gathered that the disease broke out in the communities since September this year and had claimed the lives of 37 persons in Ette community and 20 in Umuopu community.

The two communities share a common border.

Four persons it was further gathered died on Wednesday as a result of the disease which symptoms include convulsion, diarrhoea and vomiting of blood.

While Lassa fever or cholera are being suspected as the cause of the strange disease, the state Ministry of Health and investigations are said to be currently working to really ascertain the cause of the strange deaths.

“On-the-spot-check and outbreak investigation have revealed a number of deaths from an illness with symptoms suggestive of a disease of Public Health Importance,” Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, said in a statement yesterday.

But he did not give figures of those who have reportedly died of the disease.

Dr. Obi stated that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been informed “and is collaborating with the Enugu State Ministry of Health at the LGA to investigate and control the reports”.

Obi urged members of the public not to panic as the ministry was handling the emergency.

The strange disease in Enugu is happening at the same period no less than 30 persons were said to have died in Ute-Okpu and Idumesa communities in Ika North-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State over the outbreak of a strange disease too.