Strange disease kills 7 people In Central Tanzania with 14 other hospitalized

Tanzania: Tanzania Minister of Health, Ummy Mwalimu on Monday said a strange disease in central Tanzania has killed seven people and 14 other people have been admitted to hospitals for treatment.

According to the minister, the disease has hit Chmela and Kondoa districts in the country's central region of Dodoma, causing havoc to residents in the areas.
In a news confrence to journalist, Mwalimu said;

"The government came to know about the disease on June 13 through the office of the chief medical officer for Dodoma region,"

She said that it started with nine members of a single family at Mwaikisabe village in Chemba district who reportedly fell sick after eating beef which was sourced from a cow that was slaughtered after one of its legs got broken in an unknown circumstances.

However, some of the people who also ate the very same beef were alive and kicking, forcing the government to cast its net wider in the endeavor to examine what the disease could be and its likely causes.

Mwalimu said other patients from villages of Soya, Itolwa, Kelema balai, Gubali, Chemka, Kintima and Ilesi in Chemba district and one from Ubembeni in Kondoa were reported to be experiencing similar health conditions.

"The patients show symptoms of vomiting and running stomachs. Their eyes and other body parts also turn yellow."

She added that the victims also showed to be feeling pain in the stomach and in a short time, the stomachs got filled with water.

According to her, preliminary investigations have shown that the disease was not yellow fever but medical experts were also examining the possibility of it being Rift Valley Fever.