The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gastroenteritis

  • ‘Unknown disease’ in Kogi diagnosed as gastroenteritis

    Kogi State Health Commissioner Dr. Saka Audu said yesterday the alleged unknown disease had been diagnosed as gastroenteritis.

    He called for calm.

    The commissioner told News Agency of Nigeria in Lokoja those so far diagnosed were found to be suffering from gastroenteritis and malaria.

    The Ministry of Health, had in a statement, said the disease killed many people in Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West Local Government.

    “Information available to us is that the disease started six weeks ago in Okoloke village in Yagba West, a settlement 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 been evacuated to Kogi State Specialist Hospital Lokoja, for better treatment.

    “So far, we have evacuated 39 patients from Okoloke and only six of them were admitted and have shown sign of improvement, while others have since been discharged.

    “Of the six that were admitted, three of them were diagnosed with gastroenteritis, the remaining three were just cases of malaria, and they have shown signs of improvement,” Audu said.

  • Killer disease in Kogi diagnosed as gastroenteritis

    Killer disease in Kogi diagnosed as gastroenteritis

    The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, on Sunday said that the alleged unknown disease has been diagnosed to be gastroenteritis and therefore called for calmness.

    The commissioner told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lokoja that those so far diagnosed were found to be suffering from gastroenteritis and malaria.

    The state Ministry of Health, had in a statement, said that the disease killed many people in Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West Local Government Area.

    “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.

    “We want to assure the general public that government is doing all that is humanly possible to stay on top of the situation and forestall further loss of lives.

    “We will continue to inform the public as the investigation progresses,’’ Audu said.(NAN)

  • Gastroenteritis outbreak: 4 students die, 7 others hospitalised in Kebbi

    Four students of the Government Secondary School, Fannah, in Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi State have died sequel following an outbreak of Gastroenteritis.

    Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhoea, is the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that involves the stomach and small intestine.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that seven other students from the school have been hospitalised at Kamba General Hospital in Dandi Local Government Area.

    Alhaji Abubakar Mua’azu, the Press Secretary to Gov. Atiku Bagudu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kamba on Monday, that the governor led a strong delegation to sympathise with the school authorities.

    Mua’azu said that the delegation, which included the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kamba, also visited the seven students in hospital.

    He said that the governor directed the immediate provision of clean water to the school and other requirements as well as paying sympathy visit to the homes of the deceased families.(NAN)

  • Gastroenteritis outbreak in seven Anambra communities

    Following last year’s floods in Anambra State, an outbreak of gastroenteritis has been reported in seven communities.

    The state government has written to the Federal Ministry of Health on the matter.

    It wrote another letter to the ministry, alerting the state of the imminent outbreak of yellow fever in the country, following reported cases in Cameroun and Darfur, Sudan.

    The Federal Ministry of Health has, therefore, despatched a team of experts to investigate the matter in Ayamelum Local Government.

    The Federal Ministry of Health, through its Chief Consultant Epidemiologist, Dr Akin Oyemakinde, wrote two separate letters on the matter to the Commissioner for Health.

    The letter alerted the state to reported cases of gastroenteritis in Ayamelum, adding that the affected areas include Akantato, Amikwe, Aturia, Mkpuocha, Orenja, Umuali and Omor, which are mostly rural areas.

    The investigation team discovered that the outbreak started on October 31, last year, when one of the health facilities reported to the Local Government (DSNO) the increased number of gastroenteritis cases in Ayamelum.

    They noted that four cases of cholera were found to be negative, while recommending test kits to assist in early diagnosis and establishing a functional public health laboratory in the state.

    Other recommendation by the investigative team is the provision of potable water by digging boreholes in Omor community to households, among others.

    Oyemakinde said: “The major sources of water supply are poorly dug and unprotected wells, unprotected springs, streams, ponds, few hand-pump boreholes and private boreholes.

    “Further environmental assessment revealed that open defecation is highly practised by majority of the villagers. Pit latrines, where found, are used by several households. The cause of the outbreak was found to be the contamination of water sources following the floods.”

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, the state epidemiologist, Dr Emmanuel Okafor, explained that proper actions were being taken on the matters.

    He urged the residents to live in decent environments, adding that it is advisable to boil water before drinking.