Laboratory tests have confirmed that the strange illness ravaging the Ode-Irele community in Ondo state, which is now known as #OndoX, is not Ebola virus disease.

Ebola Alert, an evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals who helped with the Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the country, said samples taken from victims and tested in a laboratory in Lagos tested negative to Ebola and five other deadly diseases.

“ # OndoX samples tests negative for Ebola Virus, Yellow Fever, Lassa Fever Virus, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Dengue Virus, West Nile Virus,” the organisation said in an update provided via its twitter handle Friday night.

It said the samples were “currently undergoing toxicology screen”.

The strange disease had suddenly broken out in the sleepy community five days ago, leading to the death of no fewer than 28 people, according to Ebola Alert.

Residents say the disease, whose cause remained unknown, spread rapidly around the community, killing its victim within 24 hours.

Experts say victims manifest clinical symptoms such as headache, blurry vision/total blindness, convulsion and death.

Ebola Alert said three survivors have so far been reported.

In its effort at containing the spread of the disease, the Ondo state government on Friday set up emergency task teams and a Situation Room to coordinate the response teams working from the frontlines.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dayo Adeyanju, said in a statement that the five emergency response task teams were raised to handle different aspects of control mechanisms.

The task teams are Contact Tracing Committee, Case Management Committee, Laboratory/Forensic Committee, Community Education & Mobilization Committee and Print, Electronic & Social Media Sensitization Committee

“These and other measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of lives of our dear people of Irele. Let us continue to exercise calm and caution and eschew fear mongering as there is manifest evidence that the situation is being contained,” Mr. Adeyanju said.

“In case of any suspected case, contact: WHO 08033720966, LGA DSNO – 08112524793 and the State Epidemiologist – 08062078384.”

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