A Gastroentritis epidemic has hit Gombe State, claiming over 20 lives in three local government areas.

Dr. Muhammad Isa Umar, the state commissioner for Health, who confirmed this to newsmen, identified Balanga, Kaltungo and Yamaltu-Deba as the three local government areas, with Kuri, Dassa and Daban Magarya as the worst ravaged.

He explained that over 400 people from the three local governments affected by the outbreak, manifested through vomiting and diarrhea, killing 21 of them within the last three weeks during which it has prevailed.

The commissioner attributed the cause of the disease outbreak to the usually heavy rainfall, which through percolation, results in the contamination of sources of drinking water and farm produce.

Dr. Muhammad Isa affirmed that the government, upon receiving the report, immediately dispatched drugs and chemicals with teams of medical officials to the affected areas to bring the situation under short-term control.

He added that the over 100 water wells in the affected areas had been treated, just as all the people infected by the disease were treated and discharged with only 10 still on admission in Dadinkowa and 4 in Dassa, respectively.

While appealing to the state to immediately report the outbreak of any disease to the nearest health centre or local government headquarters, the commissioner assured that adequate drugs and chemicals were in stock to curb the spread of the disease.

Dr. Isa pointed out that the ministry had embarked on intensified mass enlightenment campaign on good hygiene and sanitation in the affected communities to avoid further spread of the disease.

Dr. Ahmed Yerma Adamu, a private medical practitioner and former health commissioner in the state, stressed the need for the reintroduction of sanitary inspection in the state.

He also made a case for the provision of solar-powered boreholes as there is an all-year-round sunshine to power it, and because of its deeper reach into ground water level to provide clean water.