Strange Disease Hits Ondo Community, Victims Urinate Blood

A strange disease is in town in the Ondo State community of Irelejare and those afflicted with the strange ailment are urinating blood.

A report in Channels Television say no fewer than five children had already contracted the disease, suspected to be  Schistosomiasis in Irelejare community in Ondo State.

Investigations by The Eagle Correspondent show that the disease is also known as snail fever and bilharzias, and it is caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine

No fewer than five children have reportedly been infected, according to some residents of the community  including  Omosehin Omopintemi and Akinbiola Oyedele.

READ ALSO: Worst Space Disasters You May Not Have Known About

They added that the effect of the disease is already manifesting in the victims who have been urinating blood, blaming it on the unavailability of drinkable water.

According to them,the situation has exposed the community to some communicable diseases.

The Head of Irelejare community, Omokaraba Monebi, appealed to the state government to urgently come to the rescue of the people.

At the time of this report, the state government has yet to confirm the incident as the Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, could not be reached to get his reaction.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms and victims get infected during routine agricultural and domestic activities among others, which expose them to infested water.

READ ALSO: Six Journalists Kidnapped On Way To Workshop, Government Steps In

In a report published in April 2019, WHO said lack of hygiene and certain play habits of school-aged children, including swimming and fishing in infested water make them vulnerable to infection.

The disease, it noted, can be controlled through periodic and large-scale population treatment with praziquantel.

The organisation added that a more comprehensive approach such as the provision of potable water, adequate sanitation, and snail control would go a long way in reducing transmission of the disease.

Reports revealed that no fewer than 220.8 million people required preventive treatment for the disease in 2017, although over 102.3 million people have been reportedly treated.

According to the World Health Organsaition (WHO) Schistosomiasis affects almost 240 million people worldwide, and more than 700 million people live in endemic areas.

The agency adds that the  infection is prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical areas, in poor communities without potable water and adequate sanitation, and that several million people all over the world suffer from severe morbidity as a consequence of schistosomiasis.