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No, ‘strange disease’ reported in Nigeria’s Benue state not coronavirus

Latsa nan don karanta wannan rohoton da Hausa. Click here to read this report in Hausa.

“Coronavirus: Senate alerts Nigerians as strange disease hits Benue.” That’s the headline of an article in the Nigerian newspaper Business Day from 6 February 2020.

It says “the outbreak of the strange disease occurred on January 29, 2020, in Oye, Obi Local Government Area of Benue State” in southwestern Nigeria. Fifteen people reportedly died from the disease, and “about 104” were “seriously infected”.

“The Senate is suspecting that the outbreak may be coronavirus epidemic which it said require urgent health measures to identify,” the article reads.

The article was shared on Facebook and other sites



There have been no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus anywhere in Africa, as of 10 February 2020. Could the “strange disease” which hit Benue state be coronavirus?

What is novel coronavirus?


Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious diseases. An outbreak of a new strain, now named Covid-19, was identified in Wuhan, China in late December 2019.

The World Health Organization says “infection with Covid-19 can cause mild symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever”.

In some people it can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties. In rare cases, the WHO says, coronavirus can be fatal. 

According to the WHO’s 6 February 2020 update on the outbreak, 28,276 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, 28,060 of them in China. There have been 564 deaths in China, and one in the Philippines.

Not coronavirus, but cause of deaths in Benue unknown


The senate, however, made no mention of coronavirus or Covid-19 while raising an alarm on the outbreak of a strange disease in Benue state. We checked the official page of the national assembly.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control responded to the rumours from Benue state on 7 February. They said on Twitter that further investigations were ongoing.

On 10 February the NCDC also drew attention to its most recent public health advisory on Covid-19. The advisory was last updated on 2 February, and confirmed that there had at the time been no recorded instances of the disease on the African continent. 

On 11 February, the NCDC said that “infective causes including known Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers have been ruled out” for the deaths in Benue state. – Motunrayo Joel





Baƙuwar cutar da ta ɓulla a jihar Binuwai, ba cutar coronavirus ba ce


“Ƙwayar cutar coronavirus: Majalisar dokokin Najeriya ta ankarar da yan Najeriya ɓulluwar wata baƙuwar cuta a jihar Binuwai.” Kanun rubutun da wata jaridar Najeriya mai ta ken Business day ta fitar a ranar 6 Fabrairu 2020.

Ta ce, “baƙuwar cutar ta ɓullo ne a ranar 29 ga watan Janairun 2020 a yankin  Oye na karamar hukumar Obi a jihar Binuwai” kudu maso yammacin Najeriya. Mutane goma sha biyar sun rasa ransu sanadiyar cutar, yayin da “kimanin mutane 104 ke cikin tsanani bayan kamuwa da cutar."

“Majalisar dattawa na kyautata zaton cewa cutar coronavirus ce, wadda ke bukatar ayi gaggawa wajen gano ko cutar ce,” a cewar rubutun.

An rarraba rubutun a Facebook da sauran shafukan yanar gizo.



Kawo zuwa ranar 10 ga watan Fabrairu 2020,  ba’a samu inda aka tabbatar da ɓulluwar cutar coronavirus ba a Afrika. Shin wannan baƙuwar cuta da ta ɓullo a jihar Binuwai cutar coronavirus ce?

Me ake nufi da sabuwar ƙwayar cutar coronavirus?


Ƙwayoyin cutar coronavirus sun fito ne daga jinsin ƙwayoyin cuta masu girma da ke farawa da mura har suyi ƙamari. An samu ɓarkewar sabon irin ƙwayar cutar, wanda aka yiwa laƙabi da Covid-19 a garin Wuhan.

Hukumar lafiya ta duniya ta ce, "kamuwa da cutar Covid-19 na sa hancin mutum ya fara yoyo, ciwon maƙogoro, tari da zazzaɓi".

A wasu mutanen ciwon na bayyana ta sigar samun wahala wajen yin numfashi ko ta sigar cutar limoniya. A wasu lokutan, a cewar hukumar lafiya ta duniya, ciwon na zama mai matuƙar hatsari.

Yayin da hukumar lafiya ta duniya ke cigaba da ƙaro bayyanai akan cutar, ya zuwa ranar 6 ya watan Fabrairu 2020 an tabbatar da kamuwar mutane 28, 276 da ƙwayar cutar Covid- 19,  28, 060 a ƙasar Sin. Mutane 564 daga ciki sun riga mu gidan gaskiya a ƙasar Sin, yayin da mutum guda ya mutu a ƙasar Filifin.

Ba cutar coronavirus ce ta hallaka mutane a jihar Binuwai ba, duk da cewa ba'a san sanadiyar mutuwar ta su ba


Majalisar dattawan babu inda ta ambaci cutar coronavirus ko Covid- 19, yayin da ta ke ankarar da alumma ɓullowar sabuwar cutar a jihar Binuwai. Mun duba shafin majalisar ba mu gani ba.

Cibiyar kiyaye yaɗuwar cututta ta Najeriya a ranar 19 ga watan Fabrairu 2020, ta wallafa a shafinta na Twitter  cewar ana cigaba da bincike akan baƙuwar cutar.

A ranar 10 ga watan Fabrairun 2020, cibiyar kiyaye yaɗuwar cututtuka ta Najeriya ta jawo hankalin jama'a akan shawarwarin da ta bayar kan yadda za'a kula da kai wajen kiyaye kamuwa da ƙwayar cutar Covid-19. An sake sabunta shawarwarin  ranar 2 Fabrairu, har zuwa lokacin babu inda aka samu ɓulluwar cutar a Afrika.

A ranar 11 ga watan Fabrairu cibiyar ta ce "zazzaɓi mai sa fitar jini daga jikin mutum baya cikin alamomin baƙuwar cutar" wadda ta hallaka wasu mutane a jihar Binuwai. – Motunrayo Joel

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