The Kogi State government has said  the strange disease which has led to the death of 62 people in the state has been discovered to be gastroenteritis.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Audu disclosed this to newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday.

The disease:

• Initially killed 50 people in the state.
• Death toll rose to 62 persons.

Audu said those diagnosed were discovered to be suffering from gastroenteritis and malaria.

Audu stated, “The current information available to us is that the disease actually started six weeks ago in Okoloke village in Yagba West, which is a settlement that is predominantly inhabited by Fulani herdsmen.

“There have been cases of reported deaths following abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, but the patients who showed signs of illness had since been evacuated and transported to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, for better treatment.

“So far, we have evacuated 39 patients from Okoloke area and only six of them were admitted and have shown significant sign of improvement while others have since been discharged.

“Out of the six that were admitted, three of them were diagnosed of gastroenteritis and the remaining three were just cases of malaria, and they have shown remarkable signs of improvement.”

He added that the government will verify casualty figures given by the locals.

“We will investigate and trace the dead people to the grave yard and come up with the correct figure. We want to assure the general public that government is doing all that is humanly possible to stay on top of the situation and forestall further loss of lives.

“We will continue to inform the public as the investigation progresses,’’ he added.

Azeez