No Mysterious Disease In Kwara, Says Commissioner

Dr Atolagbe Alege, the Commissioner for Health in Kwara, says no outbreak of a mysterious disease had been recorded in the state.

Alege made the clarification on Thursday in Ilorin while reacting to a report of an outbreak of a mysterious disease at Oro-Ago in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

A report had made the rounds that a strange disease was ravaging the Fulani community in the town, with infected victims defecating a black substance and vomiting blood before dying.

But the Commissioner dismissed the report, saying there was no such disease in the state.

“The ministry sees it as a rumour because we deployed a response team comprising of an epidemiologist, directors of public health and the disease surveillance response team,” he said.

He said experts at the ministry in company with a team from the World Health Organisation visited Oro-Ago where they met with elders and community leaders.

Alege said the team found no such mysterious disease affecting the Fulani population in the area.

The commissioner also said the response team had taken samples from some sick people at Abanisi and ECWA hospitals in Oro- Ago, adding that there was no confirmed mortality.

He, however, confirmed yellow fever, diarrhea and malaria in the community.

“The governor has directed the general hospitals across the state to be on standby in case of any unforeseen occurrence,” he said.

Alege further disclosed that the result of the sample earlier taken from the community and was expected to arrive in Ilorin on Thursday was delayed.

He said the government would communicate the result as soon as examination was conducted on it, adding that there was no need for panic.