By Jonathan Ugbal
No fewer than 44 people are currently hospitalized following a case of food poisoning in Oboso community of Mbube in Ogoja local government area of Cross River State CrossRiverWatch authoritatively reports.
This is even as two people died Friday morning with the State Government issuing a statement that a strange illness was ravaging 3 communities in the local government located over 280 kilometers north of Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The Health Commissioner, Dr. Inyang Asibong told CrossRiverWatch that all the affected cases are from a food vendor in Oboso and that the feared strange illness was actually food poisoning.
“She (the food vendor) and her husband died this morning following onset of symptoms” Inyang said, adding that; “40 people are currently admitted in General Hospital, Ogoja, 4 in a private hospital.”
Also, Asibong who said that “The situation is currently under control” now, disclosed that medical professionals from other hospitals in the northern senatorial district were mobilized to the hospital with the state reporting the matter to higher authorities.
“The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and federal ministry of health have been notified. The State Epidemiologist, State Disease Surveillance and notification officer and WHO Coordinator are on ground,” she said.
CrossRiverWatch could not determine the contaminant as at press time.
An earlier statement signed by the permanent secretary of the Health Ministry, Dr. Joseph Bassey and issued on behalf of the commissioner had disclosed that; “The strange illness is characterized by sudden onset of vomiting, foaming in the mouth, body weakness and spitting out of blood” and urged the public within the affected communities to remain calm and go about their normal activities as the situation is under control.
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