No fewer than two students of Government Girls College Sokoto (GGCS) were reported to have died and over 20 others currently hospitalised after contracting Gastroenteritis, an infectious diarrhea, in the school.
Following the outbreak, the state government has shut down the school to avoid further spread of the disease in the state.
Confirming the outbreak, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Kulu Haruna, who confirmed the outbreak of the disease in a statement made available to newsmen in Sokoto, explained that 70 students were affected by the outbreak in the school.
Of the 70 students, 50 have been discharged with only 20 students still on admission and were expected to be discharged after medical experts could ascertain their health status.
She said the state government has been working together with the Ministry of Health to bring the spread of the infection under control.
The commissioner dismissed the rumour of contaminated water through borehole, maintaining that the state government does not joke with the safety of citizens residing in the state.
According to her, it was just a natural cause because there was a similar outbreak in other parts of the state, including the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Qur’anic and General Studies where one student was lost.
It was learnt that the outbreak started about three days ago, forcing the school to convert one of its halls into an isolation centre.
Meanwhile, the management of the school have announced a two weeks break for the students to allow for proper investigation and as a possible solution to the outbreak.
Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea and gastro, is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract—the stomach and intestine.
