By Our Reporter
A total of 154 students of Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, Katsina State, were hospitalised following a suspected adverse reaction to drugs administered to treat bilharzia.
The incident occurred on Monday after the students reportedly developed symptoms following the administration of praziquantel tablets by the school authorities.
The Katsina State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Praziquantel is a medication used to treat schistosomiasis, commonly known as bilharzia, a parasitic disease that can be contracted through contact with freshwater contaminated by the parasites.
Aliyu said the affected students were taken to hospital for medical attention, adding that no deaths or casualties were recorded.
He also disclosed that the remaining 25 students who had been kept in hospital for further observation and treatment had been discharged.
According to the police spokesman, all the affected students had recovered and were reunited with their families and schoolmates.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Umar Fage, commended members of the public for their cooperation and calmness during the incident.
Fage urged residents to avoid spreading unverified information and rumours about the incident, assuring them that the police command remained committed to protecting lives and property across the state.