afrol News, 27 November - The cause of Angola's unknwo illness has been linked to contaminated salt, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, dismissing earlier reports that the contamination might have been caused by a dumped rubbish.

The first cases of the outbreak were reported in Angola's Cacuaco municipality on 2 October. It has claimed the lives of four children in the Angolan capital Luanda.

Officials of WHO and Angolan health ministry have been carrying out epidemiological investigations into the source of the illness.

It has now been proved that all the victims [414] carried symptoms of bromide poisoning whose traces have been found in food and salt, but its direct source is yet to be found.

Clinical symptoms of the illness are extreme drowsiness, waking only to painful stimuli. Though its victims recover slowly over a number of days, they however remain ataxic with many unable to walk by themselves. Its symptoms are most extreme in children under 15.

The neurological indication of the outbreak is of a cerebellar abnormality with no sign of peripheral neuropathy and relaxes are normal.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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