TheCable

The Yobe state government has dismissed reports that a strange disease claimed the lives of 200 youths in Potiskum and Nangere LGAs in the last two weeks. 

Earlier this month, there were social media reports of the outbreak of a strange disease claiming the lives of children and youths under 20 in the two LGAs.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Mohammed Gana, commissioner for health in the state, said the ministry launched a thorough investigation upon receiving the reports.

“The state government deployed epidemiologists, health teams, primary healthcare directors and facility managers to the areas,” NAN quoted Gana as saying.

“Our investigations yielded no confirmation of such deaths.”

Gana said the state has a network of over 200 community health influencers, 78 active case search teams, and over 1,000 volunteer community mobilisers supported by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

“With this extensive infrastructure conducting active case searches across the state, it will be highly improbable for any significant health event to go unreported,” he said.

“We firmly assert that these reports are unfounded.”

There have been reports of the outbreak of a strange disease in Sokoto and Zamfara states which were confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Jide Idris, NCDC director-general, subsequently hosted an emergency meeting with commissioners for health in the two states and Kaduna.

So far, over 190 suspected cases of the unknown illness, with seven deaths, have been reported.