A “mysterious” disease that kills patients within 24 hours has claimed at least 18 lives in a south-western Nigerian town, the government said on Saturday.
Government spokesperson Kayode Akinmade said: “A total of 18 has died of the mysterious disease since it broke out early in Ode-Irele town early this week.”
The disease, whose symptoms include headache, weight loss, blurred vision and loss of consciousness, killed the victims within 24 hours of their falling ill, he said.
Laboratory tests have so far ruled out Ebola or any other virus, Akinmade added. The World Health Organisation said it had information on 14 cases with at least 12 dead.
The unidentified disease appears to be attacking the central nervous system, state health commissioner Dayo Adeyanju told Nigeria’s Premium Times.
