Agyapongkrom (B/A), Jan. 26, GNA - A strange disease has attacked about 95 per cent of the youth at Agyapongkrom, a farming community in the Asunafo South District of Brong-Ahafo.

The victims are mostly children aged between six and 10 years. However, Opanin Adu Mensah, an elder in the community, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the disease had affected some adults too. He said the disease, whose main symptom is skin rashes, was detected barely six months ago and had spread rapidly, making life unbearable for the people.

Opanin Mensah said health personnel from Sankore and Kukuom in the district had been visiting the community periodically to inject the victims, but no positive results had so far been achieved.

"Some of the affected children find it difficult to defecate due to the nature of the disease which has gradually eaten into their anus", he added. Opanin Mensah appealed to the Ghana Health Service to, as a matter of urgency, ascertain the cause of the disease and to minimize its spread. When contacted, Mr. Kingsley Arthur, District Disease Control Officer, confirmed the outbreak and indicated that preliminary measures were being put in place to send enough drugs to treat the affected people.