Contaminated Stream kills 2 in Cross Rivers state, 40 others seriously ill

At least two people have lost their lives to water poisoning after drinking water from a contaminated stream in Oboso Community in Mbube clan, Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, with 40 others seriously ill and receiving treatment from the various health facilities in Ogoja and its neighbouring communities.

According to local sources, the strange ailment started on Friday in the community and two other neighbouring communities sharing the contaminated stream, as the affected communities has been thrown into a state of mourning and uncertainty.

Reacting to the development through a press statement, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Inyang Asibong, said, “The attention of the Ministry of Health had been drawn to cases of strange illness characterised by sudden onset of vomiting, foaming in the mouth, body weakness and spitting out of blood with some deaths already recorded in three communities in Ogoja Local Government Area of the state that share a common water source.”

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The Commissioner assured all that the ministry of health is doing all within its power to get to the root cause of the occurrence and has dispatched a team made up of epidemiologists, doctors, community health workers and other related health staff members to the affected communities to ascertain the real situation on ground and offer immediate medical assistance to those affected.

The Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu, who also commented on the incident appealed to the affected communities to immediately stop fetching water from the contaminated stream.

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“People should buy commercial water for now. Even after buying the commercial water, bottle or pure water, they should still try to boil it before drinking. They should be careful of where they eat for now, because if that poisoned water is used to prepare food it could still be dangerous. The community should be careful for now. If they have relatives in other areas, they can move there for now. We are on top of the situation. Those who are ill by the poisoning and in the hospital would get their treatment taken care of by the government,” she said.