An Unknown disease has been reported to have claimed more than 50 lives in Ette and Umuopu communities in Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu State.
According to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer in the council area, Vincent Oshomi, the cause of the strange deaths is unknown and the Enugu State Ministry of Health has been alerted, adding that the specimen of the affected persons in the communities have been collected for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking with Vanguard newspaper on Thursday, November 5, Oshomi said that the disease broke out at Ette at the beginning of September 2020, and spread to the border community of Umuopu.
“Between September and now, at least 37 persons have died at Ette community. Also, Umuopu community, which shares a common border with Ette have recorded 20 deaths, four of which happened yesterday. It has been a strange development. I have officially informed the state’s Ministry of Health and investigations are currently ongoing to unravel the cause of the deaths.
We have collected samples of affected persons and we are looking out for Lassa fever, cholera, yellow fever and meningitis. Coronavirus test will equally start in the affected communities today. The state’s Ministry of Health has brought an ambulance we are using to convey the sick ones to Enugu for proper diagnosis and treatment,” he said.
