Strange disease kills 28 in three days

Gov Olusegun Mimiko

There is panic in Ondo State as a strange disease, which broke out a few days ago has killed many people already, health officials in the state confirmed on Thursday, April 16.

The disease broke out in Ode-Irele community of the state about three days ago and according to residents, its victim is killed within 24 hours.

Preliminary reports from victims revealed the symptoms of the ailment as blindness, and loss of consciousness.

Contrary to the State Health Commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, who said 12 people have died from the disease; Ebola Alert, an evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals who helped with the Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the country put the death figure at 28.

According to Adeyanju who briefed journalists in Akure on Thursday, the state capital, preliminary investigations showed that the disease is not Ebola “as it does not manifest any of its symptoms, but it attacks the central nervous system of the victims”.

He assured that the state government is ensuring that the disease does not spread out of the town, as those infected are being quarantined at the General Hospital, Irele.

The cause of the disease is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, leaders in the community who spoke to a journalist are attributing the ailment to a spiritual attack.

“Community leaders said some people broke into a shrine and the god became angry with them, striking all those people who have hands in the act,” the journalist told Premium Times.

It was reported that people in the town are performing rituals to appease the god.