An outbreak of a strange skin disease suspected to be scabies, which has left many residents with rashes all over their bodies, has been reported in the Yunyoo/Nansuan District in the North East Region.

The skin disease which is said to have spread across the district has infected many residents, particularly women and children with sores on their genitals, fingers, buttocks, knees, toes and heads.

Checks by the Daily Graphic revealed that communities such as Kinkawng, Sanbali, Gbanguri, Nagbal and Sangbani are the worst affected by the disease, as almost every household has recorded either one or more persons being infected, especially women and toddlers.

The District Director of Health Services, Mr. Abdul Rahaman, confirmed the outbreak of the disease to the Daily Graphic but declined to comment further on the steps being taken by the health directorate to contain it.

Further attempts by this reporter to get the Regional Health Directorate to speak on the incident proved futile as all calls and texts went unanswered.

Victims

The Daily Graphic gathered that the disease was first reported in January and had since spread across the entire district.

Some of the victims who spoke in an interview said the disease was creating a lot of discomfort for them as they always scratched their bodies due to the rashes.

They said although they had sought medical attention at various health centres, they continued to suffer from the disease, which had spread to other relatives.

A resident, Mr. James Disi, said: “I am not able to sleep in the night because my body always itches. I have been scratching my body and now there are sores all over it, I can’t even have sexual intercourse with my wife because our genitals have been infected.”

Another resident, Musah Daniel Nagode, said almost everybody in the community had been infected by the disease which was very worrying, adding that “the disease is causing serious havoc because the farmers can no longer work because of the itches.”

They, therefore, called on the health directorate to, as a matter of urgency, initiate action to contain the infection in the area.

Scabies is said to be a contagious disease which is caused by poor personal hygiene. Symptoms of the disease include rashes, itchiness and sores. It spreads quickly through close physical contact in a family, school or nursing home.