As the strange ailment ravaging Irele Community in Ondo State continues, series of laboratory tests carried out by medical expects have shown that there was no viral infection known to science.

Already, the death toll has risen to 17 according to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju.

DAILY POST gathered authoritatively that the traditional priests in the community had gone on a spiritual journey to seek for the source of the untimely death of their people.

An indigene of the community, who spoke with our correspondent, Akin Ojagbanitemi, said it was revealed to the traditional priest that Malokun goddess, worshiped in the community has not been happy with the people.

Ojagbanitemi explained that Malokun goddes was angry at the desecration of its shrine.

“Malokun goddess is angry with us and this has been revealed by our priests. We have begun the spiritual cleansing with all women in the town fetching a bucket of water each to pour at Malokun shrine”. He said.

Also, in a statement personally issued and signed by the State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, confirmed that the laboratory tests conducted does not reveal the cause of the death of the people.

The statement reads: “My dear good people of Ondo State, We have witnessed in the last few days a major health challenge.

“A yet to be named ailment whose causative agents, diagnosis and cure are also yet to be determined struck in locations in Irele Local Government Area of our State, killing 17 people and stoking panic and fear.

“I am, like you, saddened by this losses and the attendant fear of what looks like an epidemic.

“I can only bring words of consolation to the families of the deceased and words of comfort and assurances to the good people of our dear state.

“Our prayer at this hour is that God grants rest to the dead and fortitude to the living.

“Fellow citizens, we have, as a government, taken all necessary and available actions to respond to this health crisis.

“Amidst conflicting and confusing information, the investigating team of experts sent by government to the area gathered that all the casualties died within hours of affliction. In all, 17 deaths have been confirmed in Ayadi Community and Ode Irele township and all the deaths were preceded by symptoms of sudden blurred vision, headache and loss of consciousness.

“It must be said that the team was despatched to the communities affected and the General Hospital as well as other health facilities, to gather needed information about the nature, scope and circumstances of the outbreak. Key informants interview, hospital record search and patient interview were used to obtain information.

“I must state that the symptoms in this situation are not peculiar to any known epidemic and so have remained largely confounding.

“Specifically, it must be stressed, the symptoms observed in the two communities of Ayadi and Ode Irele bear no resemblance to those associated with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).