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Nigeria Hit With Mysterious Epidemic In Ondo State, More Deadly Than Ebola: Report
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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES by Morgan Winsor April 17, 2015
A strange disease has ravaged a small community in western Nigeria, killing at least 14 people in the last 10 days. Residents of the Ikale community in Ondo state have described the mysterious epidemic as more deadly than Ebola and many are afraid to touch the dead, the Daily Post in Nigeria reported.
“We are worried. Our people are dying. We don’t know this sickness,” resident Mary Omogbehinla told the Daily Post on Thursday. “We can’t touch those who have been killed. I have counted about 19, others said 14. God please, have mercy on us.”
Four new patients with symptoms of the strange disease were isolated at a local hospital in Ode Irele. The state’s health commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, said Thursday the government launched an awareness campaign to encourage residents to report any potential cases of the mysterious ailment. The World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria’s health ministry and other health agencies were also contacted to help identify the disease and to ensure the cases do not spread, the Daily Post said Thursday.
The ancient Ikale community in Irele local government area of Ondo state has been hit by a mysterious disease, killing at least 14 people.
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http://www.ibtimes.com/nigeria-hit-mysterious-epidemic-ondo-state-more-deadly-ebola-report-1886162
Strange disease hits Ondo community, kills 14
Nigeria Daily Post by Abiodun Badejo April 16, 2015
http://dailypost.ng/2015/04/16/strange-disease-hit-ondo-community-kills-14/
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Ministry of Health activtates emergency situation room
afludiary.blogspot.com April 17, 2015
In response to reports of a `Mystery Illness’ in Ondo State, Nigeria the Ondo State Ministry of Health has activated an Emergency Situation Room.
The symptoms are not typical of Hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola or Marburg, and may even be related to a toxin or poison exposure, rather than an infectious disease. There is too little information to hazard a guess, but hopefully we’ll get some definitive answers in the next couple of days.
Following is a statement from the Ondo State MOH on their emergency response.
Ode Irele Outbreak – Emergency Situation Room Activated
By: Administrator
Date: 17-04-2015
Furtherance to the effort at containing the spread of the yet to be identified strange illness within Ode Irele, a Situation Room has been setup by the state government to coordinate with the emergency response task teams now working from the frontlines.
Read complete statement
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2015/04/moh-statement-response-to-mystery.html
Demystifying The Mysterious Disease In Ondo State - Nigeria
saharareporters.com - by Dr. Soyombo Ayomikun - April 17, 2015
Following the outbreak of the yet-to-be-identified disease in Irele, Ondo State, our medical team decided to go on a fact-finding mission to Irele General Hospital.
According to the medical doctor overseeing activities in the hospital, Dr. Sanni A.A, 5 patients were admitted with symptoms including headache, passage of loose stool, sudden onset blindness, difficulty with speaking and hearing. On examination, all the patients were said to have elevated blood pressure and signs suggestive of raised intracranial pressure. . . .
. . . From our interaction with the medical team in the hospital, there is speculation that a seed (yet to be identified) probably consumed by the victims could have resulted in symptoms indicative of poisoning.
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Nigeria - Panic - Ondo State - Unknown Disease - Deaths Increase
allafrica.com - By Bola Ojuola, Akure - April 18, 2015
On Thursday, April 16, 2015, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju called a press conference in Akure, the state capital, where he announced the outbreak of an unknown disease which had claimed about eighteen lives the previous day in Ode-Irele area. While confirming the figure, he also said four people were isolated at the General Hospital, Ode-Irele, the headquarters of Irele Local Government, where the disease broke.
As at the time of filing this report, the casualty figure was said to have risen to 25 and residents in the area, according to investigations, have started fleeing in panic.
(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)
Ondo : Victims test negative to Ebola, five other diseases
PREMIUM TIMES APRIL 18, 2015
LAGOS, Nigeria--Laboratory tests have confirmed that the strange illness ravaging the Ode-Irele community in Ondo state, which is now known as #OndoX, is not Ebola virus disease.
Ebola Alert, an evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals who helped with the Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the country, said samples taken from victims and tested in a laboratory in Lagos tested negative to Ebola and five other deadly diseases.
“#OndoX samples tests negative for Ebola Virus, Yellow Fever, Lassa Fever Virus, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Dengue Virus, West Nile Virus,” the organisation said in an update provided via its twitter handle Friday night.
It said the samples were “currently undergoing toxicology screen”.
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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/181626-ondo-strange-disease-victims-test-negative-to-ebola-five-other-deadly-diseases.html
Local chief says sacrilege against local diety caused the deaths
A local chief in Ondo State has explained the “mystery” behind a strange and unknown killer disease that has ravaged a town in the state, killing at least 14 people.
The community leader, Moses Enimade, the Oyewoga of Ode Irele in Ondo State, said the disease came as punishment for the “sacrilege” committed against Molokun, the local deity in the area....
Mr. Enimade debunked the rumour that the deaths were caused by strange disease or Ebola virus.
Mr. Enimade said some stubborn youth broke into the inner room of the Molokun shrine on April 15...The chief said the youth entered the shrine and made away with traditional items in a bid to acquire extra-ordinary powers and engage in money ritual.
“They were not qualified to enter the (shrine),” he said. “They had to face the death penalty.”
Read complete story.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/181650-ondo-strange-disease-community-leader-explains-mystery-behind-deaths.html
WHO Spokesman - Gregory Hartl - Twitter - #OndoX - Nigeria
Ode-Irele - Ondo - Nigeria - Mysterious Illness
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Pesticides likely behind 'mysterious killer disease' in Nigeria
http://resiliencesystem.org/pesticides-likely-behind-mysterious-killer-disease-nigeria