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`Mystery' outbreaks are reported fairly often around the globe each year - particularly from remote regions with limited medical resources - and more often than not turn out to caused by something relatively common (e.g., Malaria, Dengue, Influenza, Measles, alcohol poisoning, etc.)
We've covered quite a few over the years, including:
Bolivia: MOH & Media Reports On Unidentified Outbreak ( see PAHO Alert Arenavirus)
A Curious Report From Guyana ( later identified as Leptospirosis)
Reports Of An Unidentified, Rapidly Fatal Illness In Ondo, Nigeria (later identified as methanol poisoning)
Indonesia: `Mystery Illness’ Kills 56 Children In Papua (later identified as due to a combination of Pertussis and pneumonia.
Still, every once in awhile nature's laboratory serves up something new or unusual - like SARS in China, MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia, Zika microcephaly in Brazil, H7N9/H10N8/H5N6/H7N4 in China, and most recently - a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic emanating from China.
So we follow them cautiously, but with interest.Yesterday Shiloh on FluTrackers picked up several reports (see Nigeria: Mystery illness killing people in Kano. State Testing Center shut down) on hundreds of recent deaths in the northern state of Kano. A typical headline:
COVID-19: Nigerians react to mysterious deaths of prominent persons, 600 others in KanoWhile we are in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic - and it would make sense to put it at the top of the suspect list - local officials are denying a connection. The latest official COVID-19 numbers from the NCDC (below), are almost certainly a major undercount.
Late yesterday, the Kano State Government released the following statement:
MYSTERIOUS DEATHS IN KANO: GOVT REACTS, SAYS UNCONNECTED WITH COVID-19
Posted by:Abubakar Dundu
Kano state Government on Sunday acknowledged recent deaths in Kano, promising that the state Government is on top of the situation, as Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has already directed the state Ministry of Health to conduct a thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the deaths.
In a Statement made available to journalists in Kano, the state Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, said although investigation into the cause of the deaths is still ongoing, preliminary report from the state Ministry of Health indicated that the deaths are not connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that reports from the state Ministry of Health has shown that most of the deaths were caused by complications arising from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute maleria.
He further stated that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is earnestly waiting for the final report from the state Ministry of Health so as to take necessary action.
(SNIP)
He noted that, "the state government is concerned over what is happening. The Ministry of Health is already handling the situation. When they are through with the medical investigation, further necessary actions will be taken.
"I urge the good people of Kano state not to panic. Government is on top of the situation. The mystery or whatever it is will soon be unravelled.
Within the past couple of hours, the Emir of Kano doubled-down on this position, making the following statement:
Mysterious Deaths In Kano Not Connected To Coronavirus, Emir Of Kano
The reaction on social media has been dubious, at best, with a lot of fingers pointing in different directions. Overnight the Governor of Kano has accused the Nigerian Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 of abandoning their state, leaving them without a working test site for nearly a week.
COVID-19: Nigerian govt has abandoned Kano – GandujeAnother ex-official weighed in with:
Kano NCDC officials not responding to distress calls – EX-NIHS ES
And yet another call for action from a local NGO:
A visit to the Nigerian CDC finds their latest Epidemiological Weekly Report to be a several weeks out of date (current to Epi Week 14), and so there is no mention of the Kano deaths.
NCDC urged to enhance testing centres in Kano
A visit to the Nigerian CDC finds their latest Epidemiological Weekly Report to be a several weeks out of date (current to Epi Week 14), and so there is no mention of the Kano deaths.
While there may be a new, deadly disease stalking the residents of Kano State, the odds favor a much greater spread of COVID-19 than has been reported. The government's immediate assurances that these deaths are not COVID-related are questionable given the lack of local testing.
As with war, the first casualty in a pandemic is usually the truth. Sometimes it is deliberate, and sometimes it just comes with the confusion and inevitable breakdown of communications during a crisis.In any event, we'll be keeping an eye on this story as the week progresses.
