Three dead, 284 infected from strange disease in Kano

Etim Ekpimah

Three persons have died, and 284 others infected by strange disease outbreak in Kano State.

The Commissioner for Health, Aminu Ibrahim-Tsanyawa, on Tuesday, confirmed the outbreak and said medical doctor a medical doctor has admitted 25 health facilities.

According to Ibrahim-Tsanyawa, the disease was first recorded in March 10. He added that the disease was thought to be caused by consumption of contaminated flavour and a brand of expired instant drink products.

The commissioner added that affected persons were identified in 13 local government areas; 101 of them had been discharged, with 183 currently on admission.

He listed the affected LGAs as Dala Gwale, Kano Municipal, Fage, Ungogo, Kumbotso, Tarauni, Bunkure, Rano, Dawakinjudu, Dawakin Tofa, Gwarzo, and Danbatta.

Ibrahim-Tsanyawa said the index is a six-year-old girl, who developed abdominal pain, vomiting, jaundice and urine with blood (haematuria) after drinking water bought from a vendor.

He said the vendor sourced the water from a borehole at a cemetery in the metropolis.

The assumption involves instant drink flavour powder and a variety of salt for industrial use (caustic powder).

He said: “Water, blood and different instant drink flavour powder samples have been taken for tests to pin down a diagnosis, ranging from food-borne disease, food poisoning, Lassa Fever, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Chemical poisoning to Toxix Hepatitis.”

Ibrahim-Tsanyawa noted that the ministry was still awaiting the results of samples analyses to establish the cause(s) of the infection and identify the disease.

The health ministry is working with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the State Consumer Protection Council (KSCPC).

The state has deployed personnel and scales up surveillance in the 44 LGAs to check the circulation of the suspected products.