Ondo Mysterious Disease: Victims test negative to Ebola, five other deadly diseases
Mysterious Disease OUTBREAK NOT EBOLA In Ondo
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”.
The strange disease had suddenly broken out in the sleepy community five
days ago, leading to the death of no fewer than 28 people, according to
Ebola Alert.
Residents say the disease, whose cause remained unknown, spread rapidly
around the community, killing its victim within 24 hours.
Experts say victims manifest clinical symptoms such as headache, blurry vision/total blindness, convulsion and death.
Ebola Alert said three survivors have so far been reported.
In its effort at containing the spread of the disease, the Ondo state
government on Friday set up emergency task teams and a Situation Room to
coordinate the response teams working from the frontlines.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dayo Adeyanju, said in a statement
that the five emergency response task teams were raised to handle
different aspects of control mechanisms.
The task teams are Contact Tracing Committee, Case Management Committee,
Laboratory/Forensic Committee, Community Education & Mobilization
Committee and Print, Electronic & Social Media Sensitization
Committee
“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,” Mr. Adeyanju said.
“In case of any suspected case, contact: WHO 08033720966, LGA DSNO – 08112524793 and the State Epidemiologist – 08062078384.”
