Wetin we know about di 'flesh-eating' disease wey kill six pipo for Adamawa

Dis tori get wetin fit turn your belle.

Health authorities for Yobe State wey dey northeastern Nigeria don confirm say one flesh-eating disease don break out, wey dem suspect say na Buruli ulcer disease.

Adamawa State Commissioner of Health, Felix Tangwami, confam di disease during one interview wit BBC Hausa, wia e tok say six pipo don die while odas still dey receive treatment.

"We receive report of how di disease dey spread afta one member of House of Assembly from Fufore Local govment alert di state about wetin dey happun," e tok.

E sadd say, "Dis disease start one year ago and e kill six pipo, no be eight as pipo dey tok.

"Wen di disease first start, residents of [Malabu] tink say na wen dem enta farm insect dey bite dem, but di investigation we carry out show say no be so, bicos we even see children wey no dey go farming also get di disease."

But for anoda part, the Commissioner tok say residents of di area wia di disease dey spread for Adamawa State also contribute to how e take spread.

"Wen dem first dey get di disease, dem dey go chemist for treatment and dey buy drug instead of to dey go hospital.

"Dem no gree go hospital sake say dem tink say na cancer, and if dem go hospital dem go give dem treatment wey go lead to death."

Dr Tangwami tok say Adamawa State govment don take steps to stop di disease from spreading and to handle am for di community wey e don catch.

"We don send health officials wey dey visit dem now, and di state governor don release money make we buy medicine.

"We still dey do test to find out wetin cause di disease."

'Anytime dem treat me di skin and flesh for my leg dey comot'

Mati Adamu, one of di pipo wey get di disease for Malabu village for Fufore Local govment of Adamawa, tok say e don dey battle di disease for two years and up till now dem never still identify am well.

"I catch di disease one day as I dey work for farm, suddenly I feel my leg dey burn as if person put fire for am.

"Wen I reach house around 5pm, my leg swell and pain me. Dat night, I call one pharmacist make e check me."

E add say e stay house three months without waka anywia, and anytime dem give am treatment for leg, di skin and flesh go dey peel comot.

"I stay house three months dey use both traditional and hospital treatment. Now na two years I don dey with this disease.

Adamu still tell BBC News Pidgin say two of im relatives don also catch di disease.

"One of my relatives catch di disease two months ago, and my younger brother too catch am last week.

"For our village I fit tell you say like 100 pipo don get dis disease because e dey spread well well for community" Adamu tok.

Adamu add say e still no sabi di real name of di disease wey dey worry am.

"Till now, nobodi tell me di name of di disease wey dey worry me, but three weeks ago dem come collect our blood sample and till now we neva see result."

Mati Adamu tok say im relatives dey among pipo wey dem carry go Yola, di Adamawa State capital, for test.

E come beg govment make dem investigate di matter for dia Malabu village wey dey battle di disease, to protect pipo wey never catch am.

Anoda resident, Muhammad Ibrahim, wey first report di matter to authorities make dem take action say presently more dan 60 pipo don dey infected wit di disease, children join.

"After I see how di tin dey spread for our village Malabu, I say make we report am to authorities.

"As I dey tok, around 70 pipo for village dey suffer from di disease", adding say govment and NGOs don now enta, dey visit and dey check pipo wey di disease catch."

Wetin be Buruli ulcer?

Dr Aliyu Salihu from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, tok about wetin e sabi about Buruli ulcer disease.

E tok say, "Buruli ulcer na long-term (chronic) disease wey dey affect skin and soft tissue, e dey cause big big ulcer especially for leg and arm."

"Na infection from one bacteria wey dem call Mycobacterium ulcerous dey cause am."

Mode of transmission

Dr Salihu tok say di disease no dey contagious, but e fit transmit.

Dis na some ways wey di Doctor tok say disease fit transmit:

Symptoms

Dr Salihu for Usmanu Danfodiyo teaching hospital Sokoto, tok say di buruli ulcer disease get two symptoms wey be di early sign and later sign.

Di doctor still tok say if pesin get infected e fit treat am. E also provide some ways wey pipo fit prevent dem sef from di disease.

"E important make person find medical help immediately e see di above symptoms."

Treatment fit include:

Dr Salihu still tok about how persin fit prevent and protect imself make e no catch di disease.

"Pipo gatz avoid contaminated water, wear protective cloth, and always practice good hygiene", di doctor tok.