GOMBE HEALTH COMMISSIONER DENIES ANY OCCURRENCE OF UNUSUAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

The Commissioner of Health in Gombe State, Dr. Habu Dahiru, has clarified that there is no outbreak of a mysterious disease in Nafada Local Government Area of the state.

Responding to reports of a strange disease allegedly causing the death of 30 children in Nafada LGA, Dr. Dahiru informed Daily Trust that an Emergency Response Team, comprising epidemiologists and other health experts, was dispatched to Nafada to investigate and provide a report to the ministry.

Upon arrival, the team conducted an investigation into the reported number of deaths and found that only three individuals had died during the specified period, contrary to the 20 deaths reported on social media.

Dr. Dahiru urged the residents of Nafada not to panic, emphasizing that the three recorded deaths were not a result of any unusual disease outbreak but rather were attributed to common illnesses.

While acknowledging the existence of mild illness cases, the commissioner stated that samples were taken, and most of them returned negative results. Consequently, he affirmed that there was no outbreak of any disease in Nafada, contrary to the erroneous reports circulating on social media.

A Facebook post by Mubarak Manu, claiming an outbreak of a strange illness in Nafada LGA, had gone viral on social media platforms. The post suggested that the illness could be fatal within 24 hours without proper professional attention.

In response, the House of Representatives directed the Federal Ministry of Health to address the spread of the alleged strange disease, which reportedly claimed nearly 30 lives in Nafada communities. The directive came after a motion of public importance was moved by Abdullahi El-Rasheed, a member representing Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency, during a plenary session. El-Rasheed highlighted the severity of the symptoms, including severe headache, stomach pain, vomiting, smelly stool, legs and general body pain, leading to the death of those affected.

Haruna Gimba Yaya and Balarabe Alkassim; From the News Source: DailyTrust