strange disease ravages ondo,28 feared dead

The Ondo State Government is working hard to
control a strange disease which suddenly
broke out in the Ode-Irele community of Ondo
state, leading to the death of no fewer than 28
people in the past three days.
Residents say the disease broke out three
days ago and spread rapidly around the
community, killing its victim within 24 hours.
The cause of the disease remained unknown.
Experts say preliminary reports from victims
revealed neurologic clinical symptoms:
blindness, and loss of consciousness.
Ebola Alert, an evidence-driven group of
volunteer professionals who helped with the
Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the
country, said 28 people have died from the
disease.
But the State Health Commissioner, Dayo
Adeyanju, put the number of dead victims at
12.
Mr. Adeyanju, while briefing newsmen in
Akure, said 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 said the state government, after getting
information on the disease, immediately
deployed officials who took samples from
victims which was sent to Lagos for
laboratory analysis to help understand the
nature of the disease.
Mr. Adeyanju, who warned against spreading
false information on social media, said the
government is on top of the situation, and
advised people in the council area to report
any strange illness to the nearest health
facility.
He assured that the government is also doing
its best to contain the disease from further
spreading out of the town while those infected
were being quarantined at the General
Hospital, Irele, with other patients moved out
of the facility.
The Health Commissioner also advised people
of the area to avoid handling dead bodies at
this period to help contain further spread of
the disease.
A journalist who visited the affected
community Thursday, April 16, said he was
told by residents that the ailment had spiritual
undertone.
“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 said, asking
not to be named.
“Our team also saw people performing rituals
in the community. They believe that the ritual
will appease the god and that the disease will
end.”
But the state’s Commissioner for Information,
Kayode Akinmade, said he was not aware of
any spiritual dimension to the development.
“All I can tell you is that medical experts are
on ground, attending to victims and doing all
the necessary tests. Government is working
hard to contain the disease, and I can tell you
that it is under control,” Mr. Akinmade told
PREMIUM TIMES.
Ebola Alert later posted an update on its
twitter handle on Thursday night saying the
disease is under control and that its cause
was being investigated.
The organisation said the Federal Ministry of
Health, the World Health Organisation, and
the National Centre for Disease Control had
been alerted of the outbreak.