At least 15 people have died and another 50 have been hospitalized in Tanzania for a terrifying mysterious disease that causes patients to shed blood, according to reports.
Some of the patients, mostly men, died within hours of symptoms in the southern Mbeya region of the country, The Sun reported.
Felista Kisandu, the local chief physician, said a team of experts had been sent to assess patients and investigate the cause of their illness.
“This problem has not been widespread,” Kisandu said. “It happened in a single administrative department in Ifumbo, where people vomit blood and die when they arrive at the hospital late.”
She said the cause of their illness had not yet been identified, but that Tanzania’s health ministry had “ruled out an outbreak,” according to media reports.
“Initial clinical examinations showed that the patients, mostly men, were suffering from stomach ulcers and liver disease,” Kisandu said. “I advised them to avoid drinking illegal drinks, smoking cigarettes and other hard drinks.”
Authorities tested patients’ water and blood samples for mercury contamination.
Meanwhile, Tanzanian Health Minister Dorothy Gwajika ordered Kisandu’s suspension after he made remarks.
“To create an unnecessary panic among residents, I order Dr. Felista Kisandu’s employer to suspend it to pave the way for the Medical Council’s investigations and to present my report within 10 days,” Gwajika said.
Government officials said similar symptoms appeared in the area when people suffered from high fever and nausea and shed blood in 2018, according to The Sun.
News of the mystery disease comes about a month after President John Magufuli claimed that COVID-19 was stopped in its tracks – by the power of prayer.
“The crown of our country has been removed by the powers of God,” he said on January 9, six weeks after the government stopped publicly updating virus data.
The number of cases remains at 509 for six weeks, although opposition figures estimate that the actual number could be tens of thousands.
The population was urged to consume herbal remedies in an attempt to fight the deadly insect, boosting immunity.