Nigeria investigating mystery killer disease

LAGOS, Nigeria－The Nigerian government is trying to identify the cause of a mystery illness that has claimed more than a dozen lives in a central region of the country, an official said on Tuesday.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, the head of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, or NCDC, said the National Rapid Response Team is supporting the efforts of the state government of Benue in investigating the outbreak.

Reports of residents falling ill came in three weeks ago, when four deaths were reported. The senator representing the Benue South district, Abba Moro, told the Senate that so far the deaths of 15 people have been attributed to the mystery illness. Some 104 people have been admitted to hospitals.