[News] FG sends rapid response team to Kano over strange illness

The National Rapid Response Team has been deployed by the federal government to Kano over a strange illness bedeviling the state.

 

Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu made the disclosure at the joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday March 22.

 

Daily Trust reported that four people have died with over 200 others infected with the strange disease confirmed in 13 local government areas, including eight metropolitan councils in the state.

 

Ihekweazu who disclosed that symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, yellowish eyes and abdominal pain as symptoms, added that the NCDC has collected additional human and environmental samples for metagenomic sequencing which is a method for detecting rare new causes of illness.

 

He said;

 

“We’ve tested four samples taken from these cases for Lassa fever and yellow fever at the NCDC National Reference Lab. The results of these were negative.

“We’re working with, our sister agency NAFDAC as well as a toxicologist from FMoH to test for potential non-infectious causes.

“Our immediate focus is to identify the cause of this outbreak, ensure management of current cases and to control transmission.

“We’ll continue to keep members of the public aware of our findings, while we support the state’s response.”