A deadly and mysterious disease has hit the Gidan Dugus village in Dutse local government area of Jigawa state leaving at least 50 children dead.
According to the village head Malam Bashari Galadima Gidan Gudu, about 50 children between age one and five have been reported dead in a period two months of a yet to be discovered disease.
Galadima while briefing newsmen said “the problem started about two months ago, but the situation got worse in the last few weeks. The children will start with serious fever, and then develop stomach swelling and within a little time they will give up. “there are families that has lost seven, four and three children to the disease and at a time, we buried between four and two kids daily during this worse period.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Jigawa state Ministry of Health Alhaji Ali Dandidi while reacting to the development said “We learnt the problem started sometime in July. The community members refused to go to the public health centre. They relied and patronized chemists and other medical vendors all the while, nobody reported to the ministry of health until October 27. The ministry has since then sent a medical team there.
The team took samples of the patients to the laboratory and we controlled the situation within a few days.”
