Benue State Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo has said the State Government was investigating what appeared to be a strange sickness and has discovered that those affected might have consumed contaminated water. According to Ongbabo, samples of the victims were taking for screening as initially there were suspecion of Lassa fever and other virus disease but the results came out negative. Ongbabo ,who spoke to THISDAY on Friday said investigation was pointing at the source of water the victims drank in the area . He said findings revealed that victims had consumed from a pond that was contaminatted with Gamaline by local fishermen. He also revealed that samples of water have been collected for analysis. “Yes, we are aware of the strange disease killing people in Obi local government area of the state. We have sent our focal person there to investigate the situation and ascertain the nature of the endemic.

“We have declared state of emergency on those kinds of strange diseases in the state. We have also put surveillance to track down all the diseases and see how we can treat them.

The Health Commissioner who disclosed that three persons have been confirmed dead from the strange illness said the state was already in touch with national disease control Abuja and World Health Organization (WHO) to come to its aid especially in terms of identifying the disease and protect others from contacting it.

“We are trying to curtail it to avoid it spreading. So far, three persons have been confirmed dead from the strange sickness,” Ongbabo said.

The strange sickness, according to the President elect, Igede National Youth Council, Andyson Iji Egbodo is currently ravaging Oye-Obi community, a boundary settlement between Benue and Cross River States.

Egbodo in a statement made available to newsmen said the sickness has so far killed four persons including Happiness Ogbu, Onah Ogbedu, Andy Edu and Wisdom Agwo within the last two weeks.

He said all four victims developed the same symptoms of Headache, Internal heat, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Stomach ache, Weakness of the body and swollen stomach and died alike.