The Niger State Government has commenced an investigation into a suspected infectious disease following reports that an illness claimed the life of a child and affected other members of the same family, while urging residents to remain calm and ensure their children complete routine immunisation.
The Director of Information Services, Ministry of Information and Orientation, Yunusa Saidu, disclosed the development in a statement, saying the Ministry of Health immediately responded after a concerned father shared videos on social media alleging that a strange illness had affected his household.
Speaking during an assessment visit to the affected family, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Ibrahim Idris, said the swift intervention demonstrates the commitment of the Governor Umaru Bago administration to protect the health and well-being of residents.
He stressed that every unexplained death deserves a thorough investigation and every suspected disease outbreak must be treated with urgency.
Dr. Idris said the affected children had been evacuated to a health facility for comprehensive medical evaluation and treatment, adding that preliminary clinical findings suggest the illness may not be a strange disease but one familiar to medical professionals, with diphtheria among the conditions being considered.
He, however, cautioned against speculation, noting that no definitive conclusion can be reached until laboratory investigations are completed.
“At this stage, no definitive conclusion can be made until laboratory investigations are completed. The samples collected will help determine the exact cause of the illness and guide the response,” he said.
He added that public health officials have commenced contact tracing in the affected community and schools attended by the children to identify anyone with similar symptoms and prevent possible transmission.
Dr. Idris advised parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive all recommended routine immunisations, noting that many life-threatening diseases can be prevented through vaccination. He also urged residents to seek immediate medical attention whenever unusual symptoms were noticed.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA), Dr. Junaidu Inuwa said preliminary findings revealed that the deceased child had received only partial immunisation, while some of the surviving children were either partially immunised or had not completed their vaccination schedules.
According to him, the findings underscore the importance of routine immunisation in protecting children against vaccine-preventable diseases and reducing childhood mortality.
He assured residents that health authorities would continue to provide updates as investigations progressed and appealed to the public to remain calm and cooperate with health officials.
The health team also visited the Isolation Centre at the General Hospital, where the Executive Director of the Hospital Management Board confirmed that all affected family members had been placed on appropriate antibiotic treatment and were receiving adequate medical care.
Health authorities said that if laboratory tests confirm an infectious disease, surveillance activities would be intensified, contact tracing expanded, and other public health measures implemented to contain any possible spread.
The Niger State Government reiterated that complete routine immunisation remains the safest and most effective protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and urged parents to take advantage of immunisation services available at health facilities across the state.
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