Residents panic as strange disease kills 57 people in Enugu

At least 57 persons have died at Ette and Umuopu communities in Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu State following the outbreak of a strange disease in the affected communities.

According to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer in the council area, Vincent Oshomi, the cause of the strange deaths is not yet known. However, he said that the Enugu State Ministry of Health has been alerted and specimen of the affected persons in the communities collected for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Oshomi also informed Vanguard on Thursday, November 5, 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.