Yellow fever scare in Kogi as unknown illness ‘kills 50’

An unknown illness has reportedly killed at least 50 persons in Ette community, Olamaboro local government area of Kogi state.

Ujah Alewo, the lawmaker representing Olamaboro constituency in the state house of assembly, disclosed this via a motion introduced during the plenary session on Tuesday.

He said there is no confirmed diagnosis of the illness of which symptoms include headache, sore eyes, loss of appetite, inability to urinate or defecate and convulsion before death.

Olamaboro shares boundary with Igbo-Eze north LGA in Enugu state where the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed an outbreak of Yellow fever of which symptoms also include jaundice and headache.

TheCable had reported that the disease has spread to two more LGAs in the state; it already killed at least 76 people in three states.

Alewo said the illness has defied treatment with herbs and at the local health centres.

“More worrisome, all efforts to seek a solution, using the local herbs and treatment at local health centres with referrals to neighbouring clinics and hospitals at Ogugu and Okpo in Olamaboro respectively were not successful,” THISDAY quoted him to have said.

“The reports reaching my constituency office from the community leaders confirmed that over 50 people within the economic and productive age of 25 to 40 years died from September to date, thereby stalling agricultural, social and economic activities, which directly affect the food security of the agrarian and artisan Etteh people.”

He added that the deaths have caused panic among residents in the affected community, and called on the state government to intervene.

The NCDC and Saka Haruna, the state commissioner for health, have been contacted for their response.