Mysterious illness in Niger: 24 hospitalized in Bida, no deaths reported
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, a strange illness broke out in Bida, Niger State, leaving 24 people hospitalized. The illness, which caused sudden collapse and the loss of the ability to communicate, has made the town’s residents worried.
After more than a week of treatment at the Federal Medical Centre and Umaru Sanda Ndayako General Hospital in Bida, 20 of the patients have now been discharged. However, three people remain in the hospital under care.
Dr. Bello Tukur, the Niger State Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health, explained that the illness was linked to severe typhoid and malaria that had not been properly treated. “The Disease Surveillance Unit received reports of the illness in Bida on January 19, 2025,” Dr. Tukur said. “We investigated the situation quickly and found that patients had symptoms like sudden weakness, loss of consciousness, and sometimes fever.”
The investigation team found that the illness was mainly caused by poorly treated malaria and typhoid. Dr. Tukur also mentioned that another possible cause could be hypersomnolence (extreme drowsiness) linked to diphenhydramine, a medication.
Luckily, no one died from the illness, and all the patients are getting treatment locally. “Out of the 24 cases, 20 have been discharged, and only four are still in the hospital,” Dr. Tukur confirmed.
The state and local governments have been working to raise awareness about the importance of hygiene and good nutrition to help prevent the illness from spreading further. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has also been notified, and additional lab tests are being done.
Local authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely to keep the community safe.
