Ondo, Nigeria: 27 die of unidentified disease - methanol poisoning confirmed; 68 additional fatalities reported from Rivers State

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http://theinfrastructurenewsng.com/?p=7455

Strange Disease Kills 14 in Ondo
Posted on Apr 16 2015 - 2:01pm



A strange disease has killed 14 people in Ondo State. The disease broke out in Irele Local Government Council Area. Ondo State is in south west Nigeria.
Symptoms of the disease include headache and loss of sight.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, confirmed the development.
He said local and international health institutions are already carrying out investigations on the causes and treatment of the ailment.
He said the situation is under control.

 

[alert]

Meningococcal disease? With the entire outbreak occurring in the past 3 days, a common exposure seems more likely than H2H spread. The time from onset to death also appears to be very short, raising the possibility of a poisoning.

Contrary to much speculation in social media, this does NOT look like a hemorrhagic fever.

http://www.informationng.com/2015/04...-recorded.html Mysterious Disease Quickly Spreading In Ondo, 27 Deaths Recorded

Posted by: Deolu April 16, 2015

Panic has hit Ondo state where based on the recent update 27 people have died from a mysterious unidentified ailment.


Channels TV reports that all the deaths have been recorded in Irele LGA of the state.
Dr Dayo Adeyanju, Ondo health commissioner, said that the disease is strange and it’s symptoms include headache and loss of sight.
He assured the residents that the local and international health institutions were already investigating the causes of the ailment and considering the effective ways of treatment.
In an attempt to allay the residents’ fears, Adeyanju said that the situation was under control.
UPDATE
Sahara Reporters provides that two more people have just died in the area following the disease spread. According to the article, the total number of deaths recorded in three days corresponds 27.
In a similar development, last year a strange disease claimed lives of five students in Kebbi state.
One of the students of Kanta Unity College, who pleaded for anonymity, narrated:
“We believe that the death of our colleagues is an attack by evil spirits. We were cleaning our school environment recently when we heard a strange voice in the fire we set to rubbish, telling us to be ready to face the music for what the strange voice called ‘intruding into their vicinity’.”

 

[Pathfinder]

Strange disease hit Ondo community, kills 14

By Victor Azubuike on April 16, 2015

The ancient Ikale community in Irele local government area of Ondo state has been hit by a mysterious disease, killing at least 14 people.

DAILY POST gathered that the disease has been ravaging the community since the past 10 days.
...
Our correspondent learnt that the said ailment is more deadly than the ebola virus as it will first blind the victim while also drawing out his tongue.

...We can?t touch those who have been killed. I have counted about 19, others said 14. God please, have mercy on us?. One of the residents, Mrs. Mary Omogbehinla pleaded.
...
http://dailypost.ng/2015/04/16/strange-disease-hit-ondo-community-kills-14/

 

[alert]

http://leadership.ng/news/426108/12-persons-died-of-strange-disease-in-ondo

12 Persons Died Of Strange Disease In Ondo

Akure, Tope Fayehun
— Apr 16, 2015 | 0 Comments

No fewer than twelve persons had been killed by a strange disease that broke out at Ode Irele, the headquarters of Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday.
This was confirmed by the state commissioner of Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju in Akure, the state capital on Thursday.
Adeyanju who gave the casualty figures to journalists, said four other persons were being given isolated treatment at the General Hospital in the town.
He said unconfirmed reports yesterday morning said two out of the four patients undergoing treatment in isolated clinic had died on Thursday morning.
Adeyanju, who said the presentation from the investigations carried out on the victims did not reveal symptoms of the dreaded Ebola disease, said the state government had moved into the area to curtail spread of the strange disease.
According to him, preliminary report showed that the dead persons complained of headache and later lost their sight before they finally gave up.
While stating that it was not a case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Adeyanju said there were no cases of diarrhea, vomiting and hemorrhage that are usual symptoms of the dreaded EVD.
Adeyanju who gave the assurance that government would do everything possible to control the strange ailment, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners were already involved in the matter.

[snip]

 

[Pathfinder]

Strange disease kills 14 in Ondo

Posted by: Damisi Ojo, Akure
in News Update 1 min ago
...
Adeyanju said; ?The presentation of the disease is bizarre and this was one of the reasons why the ministry is working round the clock to prevent the outbreak and I am assuring that we will get to the roots within the next 24 or 48 hours.?

He explained that the disease usually affects the Central Nervous System while the ‎person infected by the disease usually lose their sights and die few hours after losing the sight.
...
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/strange-disease-kills-14-in-ondo/

 

[Pathfinder]

Infectious Disease Outbreak Kills Over 25 In Ondo, Health Officials Claim It Is Not Ebola

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK
APR 16, 2015

...
?We noticed the strange ailment yesterday (Wednesday),? said Mr. Omole. ?Several people lost their sight before they died instantly.
...
He stated that, in addition causing blindness, the unknown disease also caused victims? tongues to swell abnormally, rendering the victims incapable of speech, prior to death within a few hours.
...
In a broadcast on a state-owned radio station in Akure, the state capital, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Mr. Adeyanju, said the ravaging disease was not Ebola as some feared.
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?The disease has been spread to the whole town and it has been very difficult to trace it to a particular source because it had already spread across the whole local government of Irele,? he said.
...
http://saharareporters.com/2015/04/...r-25-ondo-health-officials-claim-it-not-ebola

 

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[h=2]Thursday, April 16, 2015[/h]


[h=3]Reports Of An Unidentified, Rapidly Fatal Illness In Ondo, Nigeria[/h]




# 9948


The African news media has been filled with reports over the past couple of hours of an outbreak of an unidentified illness that has quickly claimed the lives of (depending on the report) of two dozen or more people in Ondo, Nigeria. I see that Flutrackers has already started a thread here, which should be a good place to find any updates.

Although near to regions that have been dealing with Ebola for the past year, the symptoms thus far described ? headaches, often followed by blindness and then death ? are not really consistent with what you?d expect from a hemorrhagic fever.
​

A smattering of media reports follow, after which I?ll return with a bit more:

[h=4]Strange disease hit Ondo community, kills 14[/h] Jumai
The ancient Ikale community in Irele local government area of Ondo state has been hit by a mysterious disease, killing at least 14 people. DAILY POST gathered that the disease has been ravaging the community since the past 10 days. According to Mr. Taiwo ...
(Continue . . . )


[h=4]Strange Disease Kills 14 In Ondo State[/h] CHANNELS TELEVISION
Disease A strange ailment has broken out and killed about 14 people in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, south west Nigeria. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, said the disease, discovered on Wednesday, is strange and its ...
(Continue . . .)


[h=4]Mysterious Disease Quickly Spreading In Ondo, 27 Deaths Recorded[/h] Information Nigeria
Dr Dayo Adeyanju, Ondo health commissioner, said that the disease is strange and it's symptoms include headache and loss of sight. He assured the residents that the local and international health institutions were already investigating the causes of the ...
(Continue . . . )
​

There is a decided lack of useful epidemiological and demographic data on these cases in these media reports.

We don?t know how many people are sick, whether they are related to each other or shared some common exposure, whether they are all adults or a mixture of adults and children, whether they skew to one gender or another . . . or much of anything else.

There is simply too little to speculate on the cause, but the symptoms mentioned could just as easily be due to a toxin, or poison, rather than an infectious disease.
​

`Mystery? diseases usually turn out to be far less mysterious once medical teams arrive and can begin testing. In any event, given the sudden onset, and apparent high mortality in this outbreak, we?ll keep tabs on it in the days to come.


Posted by

Michael Coston at 12:25 PM No comments: Links to this post Labels: Mystery Illness, Nigeria

 

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Several sources are now adding paralysis to the list of symptoms, such as:

http://paragonmagazine.blogspot.com/...rate-what.html

[snip]

Reports reaching us implies there is a new Ebola-like disease that is killing people on contact within 24 hrs in Ondo state! Symptoms are said to be Instant blindness, chronic thirst, paralysis and then the person drops dead.

[snip]

 

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http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/thr...erious-deadly-disease-in-ondo’s-irele.110426/

[snip]

Since all the victims are adults, some people believe the disease was caused by poisoning, through mixing industrial ethanol with local gin. All local gin joints should be investigated, they added.

[snip]

 

[Ronan Kelly]

First thing I thought of was methanol poisoning, from home produced liquor.

 

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First thing I thought of was methanol poisoning, from home produced liquor.

That was my first thought too, and is consistent with this outbreak as a result of a single exposure (there are apparently only two cases still alive, something that is unlikely if this were spreading). Several people have commented on Facebook and Twitter that in addition to being all adults, the victims are all male.

The other thing that comes to mind is botulism, from improperly stored/preserved food. especially with the mention of facial or respiratory paralysis.

 

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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/...e-disease-ravages-ondo-community-28-dead.html

The Ondo State Government is working hard to control a strange disease which suddenly broke out in the Ode-Irele community of Ondo state, leading to the death of no fewer than 28 people in the past three days.

Residents say the disease broke out three days ago and spread rapidly around the community, killing its victim within 24 hours.

The cause of the disease remained unknown.

Experts say preliminary reports from victims revealed neurologic clinical symptoms: blindness, and loss of consciousness.

Ebola Alert, an evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals who helped with the Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the country, said 28 people have died from the disease.

But the State Health Commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, put the number of dead victims at 12.

Mr. Adeyanju, while briefing newsmen in Akure, said preliminary investigations showed that the disease is not Ebola ?as it does not manifest any of its symptoms, but it attacks the central nervous system of the victims?.

[snip]

 

[Pathfinder]

Picture released here [GRAPHIC]

Disease worse than Ebola infects Nigerians
APRIL 16TH, 2015 DSGHERALD1 HEALTH, NATION

http://heraldnewsmagazine.com/disease-worse-than-ebola-infects-nigerians/

 

[Treyfish]

Unknown epidemic hits Ondo, kills 12

April 17, 2015 :


Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko
| credits: File copy

NO fewer than 12 people have died from an unknown epidemic which recently hit Ode Irele, a serene community in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State. The state Commissioner for Health, Dayo Adeyanju, who made this known to journalists in Akure on Wednesday, did not say when and how the disease was first noticed in the community. He however added that four persons with fresh symptoms of the disease had been isolated at the General Hospital, Ode Irele. According to Adeyanju, preliminary reports showed that prior to the deaths, all the victims, complained of headaches and later lost their sight before dying. The commissioner explained that the symptoms of the epidemic were different from those of Ebola Virus Disease, which are diarrhoea, vomiting and haemorrhage. While giving the assurance that everything possible would be done to ensure that the disease did not spread, Adeyanju said the state government had already sought the aid of the World Health Organisation and other partners. He added that the Disease Surveillance Team and volunteers that were engaged in the state during the EVD outbreak had been activated. Adeyanju also disclosed that the Personnel Protective Equipment purchased by the government to curtail Ebola was being used in the handling of the disease. According to him, samples taken from the victims had been sent to Lagos State for proper investigation. The commissioner also said the government had commenced an awareness campaign through which the public was being encouraged to report any case of the disease . While stating that the state already had a cremation law in place, Adeyanju advised relations of the victims against burying them at home. He warned the public against sensationalising the disease, particularly in the social media, so as not to create fears among the people. Adeyanju’s Information counterpart, Kayode Akinmade, said the government had already contacted the Federal Ministry of Health over the disease. A professor of infectious diseases and Chief Executive Officer, EbolaAlert, Bakare Lawal, said that samples obtained from the victims were being analysed to enable experts to determine whether the disease was bacterial or viral infections. Meanwhile, online search vide the healthline.com reveals that the symptoms mimic those of Temporal arteritis. The portal states, “Temporal arteritis is a condition in which the temporal arteries, which supply blood to the head and brain, become inflamed or damaged. It is also known as cranial arteritis or giant cell arteritis.” It notes that although this condition usually occurs in the temporal arteries, temporal arteritis can occur in almost any medium to large artery in the body. The portal adds that older individuals over 60 years of age are m :tiphat:http://www.punchng.com/news/unknown-...ondo-kills-12/

 

[Treyfish]

Already, the state government and the World Health Organization have sent representatives to the community.
Also, the Personnel Protective Equipment purchased by the government for Ebola cases and their handlers had been deployed to the area.
The outbreak was noticed on Wednesday and 12 people reportedly died same day. Four others were rushed to the hospital yesterday and two of them gave up the ghost.
Some natives of the town alleged that the gods of the community were offended.
However, the state Health Commissioner, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, who led a delegation to the area, said the reason given by the natives could not be scientifically proved.
Dr. Adeyanju confirmed that 12 persons had died due to the strange disease, while reports reaching him was that two others, out of the four quarantined, had also died.
He said: ?Investigations did not reveal symptoms of Ebola,? addi:tiphat:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/strange-disease-kills-14-in-ondo-community/

 

[Pathfinder]

2015/04/17

Strange Ondo Killer Disease Linked To Exhumed Corpse (Report)

All 14 deaths recorded in Ode Irele, Ondo state, from a ?strange? ailment are directly connected to an exhumed corpse in the community, Kayode Akinmade, the Ondo state commissioner for information and strategy, has said.
...
Speaking with TheCable, Akinmade said the diseases was not the same as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), although it had managed to kill its victims in less than 24 hours.
...
He added that although there were claims that as many as 34 people had died, only 14 people had fallen victim of the strange disease. ?Available data do not indicate that 34 people have died ? only 14,?he said. ?And from what we got, the 14 had personal contacts with those people who came to exhume the corpse that led to this epidemic.?

He added that the state commissioner for health, Dayo Akinyanju would ?in the next couple of hours, make a state wide broadcast? to update Nigerians on the state of the disease. Soji Gbadebo, the permanent secretary (protocol), in the state who also spoke with TheCable, corroborated Akinmade?s position.
...

http://newswirengr.com/2015/04/17/strange-ondo-killer-disease-linked-to-exhumed-corpse-report/#

 

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That's a very odd report. It seems to have pieces of the reports of the various acts of "witchcraft" reported yesterday. A similar report is also here:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201504171509.html

I wonder if the correct translation for "witchcraft" should not be something more like "deliberate poisoning" in that case.

Contracting an infection from the corpse is possible (that's what often happens in EVD), but if this is H2H, it would have a very short incubation period. By now, the contacts of the contacts would be ill, something that isn't being reported.

If a corpse really was exhumed (and that's not clear at this point), it would be instructive to know what was eaten/drank at such an event.

 

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http://ondostatemoh.gov.ng/featured.php?featurednews=10#disqus_thread [TABLE="border: 0, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 0"]
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[TD="width: 610, align: left"] [h=1]Ode Irele Outbreak ? Emergency Situation Room Activated[/h] [/TD]
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[TD="class: content_text, width: 303, align: left"]By: Administrator[/TD]
[TD="class: content_text2, width: 303, align: right"]Date: 17-04-2015[/TD]
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[TD="class: content_text, colspan: 2, align: left"] 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.
The task teams are:
1. Contact Tracing Committee - the committee is already tracing and establishing contacts with those already exposed to patients or dead bodies and monitoring them for possible manifestation of any of the symptoms.
2. Case Management Committee - this is made up of health personnel and volunteers already trained to attend to medical emergencies of this nature, they are to ensure safe and proper management of new and existing cases of the illness. They are required to also train health workers in Irele.
3. Laboratory/Forensic Committee - to establish the etiological/causative agent for the strange illness and ensure safe disposal of corpses.
4. Community Education & Mobilization Committee - intensify mass education and sensitization of the community and the state in a way that will not constitute public health hazard.
5. Print, Electronic & Social Media Sensitization Committee - to make progress report of unfolding developments available in a timely manner to the world to dispel rumours that may lead to widespread panic and fear.
These and other measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of lives of our dear people of Irele. Let us continue to exercise calm and caution and eschew fear mongering as there is manifest evidence that the situation is being contained.
In case of any suspected case, contact: WHO 08033720966, LGA DSNO ? 08112524793 and the State Epidemiologist - 08062078384
Dr. Dayo Adeyanju
State Commissioner for Health
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[Shiloh]

Source: http://dailytimes.com.ng/ondo-killer-disease-linked-exhumed-corpse-information-commissioner/

Ondo Killer Disease Linked to Exhumed Corpse

Information Commissioner The Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmande, has stated that the 14 deaths recorded in Ode Irele, Ondo state, emanated from a ?strange? ailment are directly connected to an exhumed corpse in the community.

Speaking to a media organisation, Akinmade said the diseases was not the same as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), although it had managed to kill its victims in less than 24 hours...

... He added that the state commissioner for health, Dayo Akinyanju would ?in the next couple of hours, make a state wide broadcast? to update Nigerians on the state of the disease...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Demystifying The Mysterious Disease In Ondo State: No Cause For Alarm! By Dr. Soyombo Ayomikun
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.
BY DR. SOYOMBO AYOMIKUNAPR 17, 2015
...
All the admitted patients are males, middle-aged, and all developed the illness at about the same time.

2 of the admitted patients died while the remaining 3 insisted on being discharged against medical advice. They eventually left the hospital on the 15th of April. Following their exit, unconfirmed reports have it that one of them died at home.

Dr. Sanni also talked about rumours of other mortalities within the town and that efforts are currently being made to collate the actual number of casualties.

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.
...
http://saharareporters.com/2015/04/...ondo-state-no-cause-alarm-dr-soyombo-ayomikun