The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control has stated that it has collected water samples and flavour products for laboratory analysis following the outbreak of a strange disease in Kano State.
The state Coordinator of the agency, Mr Shaba Muhammad, said samples collected had been sent to its laboratory in Kaduna for analysis.
Muhammad explained that the agency received a report of the manifestation of a strange disease, suspected to be caused by the consumption of sachet water and locally-processed drinks in Kano metropolis.
According to him, a team of officials from the agency have visited the infected persons at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kano, as well as some of the affected areas.
He stated, “Reports indicated that the infection involves sachet water and locally-brewed drinks believed to have been prepared with expired and adulterated products.
“We collected samples of the suspected water and the products for analysis so as to establish the cause of the disease.”
Similarly, he state Ministry of Health said it had commenced investigation to unravel the strange disease recorded in parts of Kano Municipal, Kumbotso and Gwale local government areas of the state.
It was learnt that the affected persons developed symptoms, including severe vomiting and passing of urine mixed with blood after drinking the sachet water and the local drink.
The government has confirmed the death of three persons and the hospitalisation of no fewer than 284 others.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Aminu Tsanyawa, disclosed this while giving an update on the outbreak in Kano on Tuesday.
He said based on the statistics gathered, no fewer than 284 persons had contracted the strange disease across three local government areas of the state.
The commissioner stated that in an effort to promptly address the challenge, the state Ministry for Health’s task force had so far seized items that caused the outbreak of the disease worth over N59m.
He noted that samples of the affected patients had been sent to Abuja for analysis.
According to him, the affected victims are currently being treated in the Murtala Mohammad Specialist Hospital, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital.
