NCDC confirms outbreak of strange disease in Sokoto

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed the outbreak of a disease of unknown origins in Sokoto State.

The Director General (DG) of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, said that so far a total of 164 suspected cases had been identified in six wards of Isa LGA: Bargaja (22), Isa North (17), Isa South (98), Tozai (12), Tsabre (4) and Turba (11), noting that four deaths had been recorded.

He said the agency was notified by the Sokoto State Ministry of Health on March 21, 2024, of reported cases of children presenting symptoms which included abdominal distension due to rapid onset of fluids in the abdomen (ascites), fever, vomiting and weight loss from Isa LGA.

He further said, “Most of these cases are children aged four to 13, including some adults. The patients came from different wards and settlements across the LGA.”

Dr Idris disclosed that the NCDC deployed a National Rapid Response Team (NRRT) to work with the state’s Ministry of Health to further investigate and respond to the incident.

While noting that a similar incident was documented in 2023, also without a definitive diagnosis, he said currently two suspected cases were receiving care in the Uthman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto, with one case discharged on account of improved symptoms.

He said, “Four other suspected cases are also on admission at the Isa General Hospital, while about 130 cases are receiving care either within the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) or home care in the affected LGAs.”

He further said that initial clinical assessment and investigation of the cases admitted at the teaching hospital ruled out an infectious origin of the event, necessitating the need to search for other causes, including heavy metal testing.