Police say all affected students have recovered, while the state government investigates what caused the reported symptoms after a school-based treatment exercise.
All 154 students hospitalised after falling ill during a bilharzia treatment exercise at Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, Katsina State, have been discharged, police have confirmed.
The students developed symptoms on Monday, October 26, after receiving praziquantel tablets during a treatment and prevention exercise. The Katsina State Police Command said the students had received medical attention, recovered and returned to their families and schoolmates, with no deaths recorded.
Police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu said the final 25 students who had remained in hospital for further treatment had also been discharged. Commissioner of Police Ali Umar Fage thanked residents for their cooperation and urged the public not to circulate unverified reports about the incident.
Katsina government investigates cause
The Katsina State Government has established a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine what caused the students to fall ill.
Commissioner for Health Musa Adamu Funtua said preliminary findings suggested there might have been a gap between breakfast and the administration of the tablets. However, the government had not established this as the cause of the reported reactions.
The exercise was conducted by primary healthcare authorities in collaboration with Batagarawa Local Government Area. Reports said more than 700 students received the medication in two batches. No reactions were reported during the first batch on October 24, while students became ill during the second exercise on October 26.
Reported symptoms included vomiting, abdominal discomfort and dizziness. The medical director of Ahmadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Dr Auwal Sani, said some students arrived unconscious but responded to treatment. He also said the dosage was determined using students’ height measurements.
The available reports do not establish whether the symptoms were caused by the medicine, its administration, the timing of the doses or another factor. The findings of the government’s investigation will be needed to clarify the cause.
What is bilharzia?
Bilharzia, also known as schistosomiasis, is a disease caused by parasitic worms. People become infected when the parasites’ larvae penetrate the skin during contact with contaminated freshwater. The disease can cause serious complications if left untreated.
Praziquantel is the World Health Organization’s recommended treatment for schistosomiasis. It is widely used in preventive treatment programmes targeting at-risk populations, including school-aged children. WHO describes the medicine as effective and generally safe, although temporary adverse effects can occur.
The use of a recognised treatment does not, on its own, explain what happened in Batagarawa. The investigation will need to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported symptoms before responsibility or cause can be determined.
