Residents Flee As Death From Strange Disease In Ondo Rises

Many residents of Ode Irele, the headquarters of Irele Local Government area of Ondo State, are now fleeing the town following the rise in the number deaths from the strange ailment that hit the place on Wednesday.



The state government on Friday confirmed that 17 persons had died from the disease, an increase from the 12 that were originally confirmed. Some sources said the death toll resulting from the disease was as high as 30.



While the government said the cause of the ailment was not known, other sources from the community blamed the death on some people that defiled the shrine of the community deity known as Malokun.



According to the source, strange death was caused by some people who incurred the wrath of the deity when they stole some artifacts from the shrine.



Stating that the government had put necessary machinery in motion to control the disease, Governor Olusegun Mimiko said samples collected did not show that the victims died of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).



Mimiko, who said the state had witnessed a major health challenge said the causative agents, diagnosis and cure are also yet to be determined.



While stating the he was saddened by the losses and the attendant fear of what looks like an epidemic, he said the government can only bring words of consolation to the families of the deceased just as he assured the people of the state of the government's resolve to find solution.



Mimiko said amidst conflicting and confusing information, the investigating team of experts sent by government to the area gathered that all the casualties died within hours of affliction. In all, 17 deaths have been confirmed in Ayadi Community and Ode Irele township and all the

deaths were preceded by symptoms of sudden blurred vision, headache and loss of consciousness.



"It must be said that the team was despatched to the communities affected and the General Hospital as well as other health facilities,

to gather needed information about the nature, scope and circumstances of the outbreak..



"I must state that the symptoms in this situation are not peculiar to any known epidemic and so have remained largely confounding.



"Specifically, it must be stressed, the symptoms observed in the two communities of Ayadi and Ode Irele bear no resemblance to those

associated with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)", he said.

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