An illness with symptoms such as headache, red eyes, loss of appetite, inability to urinate or defecate and convulsion has resulted in the death of 50 persons in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Victims’ ages were between 25 and 40 years, reports said.
While the state government still grapples with what causes the condition, it has been reported that infected persons die within one week of manifesting the symptoms.
Consequently, the Kogi State House of Assembly has called on state and federal ministries of health to unravel the cause of the cause of the symptoms.
The House made the call at Tuesday’s plenary sitting in Lokoja following the adoption of a motion on Urgent Public Importance, raised by Anthony Ujah (APC-Olamaboro), over the issue.
According to the lawmaker, the yet-to-be-identified disease comes with symptoms such as headache, red eyes, loss of appetite, inability to urinate or defecate, convulsion and death.
Ujah said residents of Etteh Community in the local government area have been thrown into confusion by the outbreak of the yet-to-be-diagnosed disease.
He maintained that the cause or nature of the disease is still unknown, adding that infected persons die within one week of contracting the disease.
More worrisome, according to him, is that all efforts to get a solution using local herbs and treatment at primary health centres with referrals to clinics and hospitals in neighbouring Ogugu and Okpo have been unsuccessful.
“The reports reaching my constituency office from the community leaders confirmed that over 50 people between the age of 25 and 40 years have died since September,” he said.
Seconding the motion, Edoko Moses Ododo (APC-Dekina/Biraidu), said people of the community now live in fear.
He said urgent steps needed to be taken to save their lives as the disease can adversely affect the economy of the agrarian community.
Supporting the motion, Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed, submitted that the community shares boundary with Enugu State and efforts should be made to urgently avert further loss of lives.
Mohammed prayed the state government to establish a hospital in Etteh community to prevent or tackle the future occurrence of such epidemic and other health challenges.
Speaker of the House, Mathew Kolawole, led the lawmakers in observing a minute silence in honour of the deceased.
He directed that a letter be sent to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, for immediate support and assistance.
(NAN)
