Strange Disease Kills 50 Children In Jigawa

[Miss Ifeoluwa]

No less than 50 children have been feared dead after a strange disease struck at Gidan Dugus under Wangara district of Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

It is understood that the disease had first surfaced in July but was not reported by any person from the community until October 28.

It was also learnt that the children who died within the last two months in Gidan Dugus in Dutse Local Government Area of the State were within the age of one and five years.

Speaking on the development, the Village Head Malam Bashari Galadima Gidan Gudu told The Nation that ”the problem started about two months ago, but the situation got worse in the last few weeks”

He explained further how the disease affects the kids.

He said: “The children will start with serious fever, than develop stomach swelling and within a little time they will give up.”

”There are families that lost seven, four and three children to the disease and at a time, we buried between four and two kids daily during the worse period.”

It was gathered that the people of the area resorted to self medication and visiting pharmacy shops for treatment against going to hospitals that they consider too far from their area.

Also speaking, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Alhaji Ali Dandidi said:

“We learnt the problem started sometime in July. The community members refused to go to the public health centre. They relied on and patronised chemists and other medical vendors all the while

“Nobody reported to the ministry (of health) until on October 27. The ministry sent a medical team there. The team took samples of the patients to the laboratory and we controlled the situation within a few days.”

“After laboratory tests of the samples, it was confirmed as malaria and typhoid. We supplied the drugs for treatment and the situation was brought under control.”

Gidan Dugu village is 35 kilometres from Jigawa State capital Dutse in the Northwest geo political zone.