At least 24 residents of Bida, the headquarters of Bida Local Government Area in Niger State, have been hospitalised following the outbreak of an unknown illness in the town.
According to reports, 20 of the affected patients have been discharged after more than a week of treatment at the Federal Medical Centre and the Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital in Bida.
Many members of the community are concerned about the condition, which is characterized by sudden collapse and a lack of communicative abilities.
Speaking on the development, the Niger State Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health, Dr. Bello Tukur, attributed the cases to untreated severe typhoid and malaria.
“The Disease Surveillance Unit, Public Health Department, Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health, Niger State, received information on an outbreak of a strange illness in Bida LGA on 19th January 2025,” Dr. Tukur explained.
He further disclosed that the State Rapid Response Team (RRT), led by the Assistant State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer, conducted an investigation on January 20, 2025, alongside the local government team.
“Symptoms observed in the patients included sudden onset of weakness, loss or altered consciousness, with or without fever. Total patients on admission were three—two at FMC Bida and one at Umaru Sanda Ndayako Hospital, Bida. Others in the hospitals have been discharged,” Dr. Tukur said.
According to the commissioner, blood samples collected from the affected individuals revealed the illness was linked to poorly treated malaria and typhoid fever.
He also mentioned hypersomnolence due to diphenhydramine as a possible contributing factor.
