A MYSTERY illness has claimed the lives of four individuals in Nigeria, with a local official warning that "children are at risk".
The disease is being probed by the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Nigerian CDC) after doctors have so far been unable to identify it.
The outbreak striking Zamfara state, in the north-west of the country, has seen infected patients suffer from bloating, fluid in the abdomen, an enlarged liver and spleen, and general flu-like symptoms, including fever and general body weakness.
At least 177 people are believed to have been infected.
The source of the outbreak is believed to have been water in Tsibiri village.
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It has since spread to several other villages, including Maradun, Shinkafi, and Gusau.
Details of the unknown disease were disclosed in a statement from the local government, seen in Punch newspaper, a Nigerian daily paper.
Dr Aisha Anka, the state minister for Health, said: "Children are mostly affected, and the cases are associated with water consumption.”
"So far, four deaths have been recorded, and 177 cases were detected.
The Ministry of Health is currently in the emergency response phase to identify the illnesses and causes.
“Various biological human and animal samples, soil samples, water samples, agricultural and foodstuff samples have been taken to Lagos and Abuja laboratories for analysis."
“The ministry will continue to update the general public and all relevant stakeholders and partners on any update about the outbreak,” she added.
It comes as 45 people were reported to have died in Gundutse village in the Kano state - slightly east of Zamfara - from a mystery illness.
It remains unclear whether this deadly disease, which has claimed the lives of women, children and the elderly, is the same as the one currently wreaking havoc in Zamfara.
At the height of this mysterious illness, it's believed that the community in Gundutse village was burying up to five people daily.
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Lassa fever
Nigeria is currently experiencing an outbreak of Lassa fever, with more than 150 deaths registered in the country this year after hundreds died from the disease in 2023.
Lassa fever is an illness caused by the Lassa virus, which is listed on the World Health Organization’s list of notorious pathogens that have epidemic or pandemic potential.
It is known to be endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well.
Three cases were reported in Britain in 2022 in a family who had returned from West Africa to Bedfordshire, with a newborn baby tragically dying from the virus.
The virus causes headaches, weakness, coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains and a sore throat.
In severe cases, it can lead to bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth and other body openings, as well as breathing problems, facial swelling, chest pain and shock.