[size=35]Mysterious disease that kills patients within 24 hours leaves at least 17 dead in Nigeria[/size]
A mysterious disease that kills patients within 24 hours has claimed at least 17 lives in a south-eastern Nigerian town, the government has said.
"Seventeen people have died of the mysterious disease since it broke out early this week in Ode-Irele town," said Ondo state government spokesman Kayode Akinmade.
The disease, symptoms of which 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, Mr Akinmade added.
The World Health Organization said it had information on 14 cases with at least 12 dead.
"Common symptoms were sudden blurred vision, headache, loss of consciousness followed by death, occurring within 24 hours," spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said.
Mr Akinmade said health officials and experts from the government and aid agencies, as well as WHO epidemiologists, had arrived in Ode-Irele.
"Outside a total of 17 deaths recorded, in the past 72 hours we have not recorded new cases," he said.
"There is no patient of the disease in any hospital and the disease has not spread beyond the town."
Mr Jasarevic said blood and urine samples had been taken from two victims and cerebrospinal fluid from another.
"All samples have been sent to Lagos University Teaching Hospital this morning, and results are still pending. Investigations are still ongoing," he said.
AFP
I have checked a map of Nigeria and the town is only a 4hr drive from LAGOS which has a population of over 5million people.
Subject: A mysterious disease that kills patients within 24 hours has claimed at least 17 lives in a south-eastern Nigerian town 
Sat Apr 18, 2015 11:05 am
