The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu says his agency is investigating the outbreak of an unknown disease that has reportedly killed 15 people in Benue state.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, February 8, 2020, Ihekweazu said the agency is taking steps to effectively manage the disease.
In their bid to trace the cause of the disease, Ihekweazu said water samples from affected areas have been sent to the federal ministry of water resources for further analysis.
He added that samples of the water tested at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory came out to be negative for major viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), which according to him refer to a group of diseases caused by viruses such as Ebola and Marburg, Lassa fever, and yellow fever.
The NCDC DG has, therefore asked health workers to be on the alert over the disease while the investigation continues.
While speaking at the floor of the senate recently, Abba Moro, a senator from Benue said, over 100 persons have been infected by the disease.
According to TheCable, the disease was reported first on January 29 in Oye, Obi local government area of Benue.
