A total of 154 students at Government Science Secondary School in Batagarawa, Katsina State, were taken to hospital after a suspected adverse reaction to praziquantel tablets given to them to treat bilharzia.
According to a statement released on Wednesday by Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Police Command, the incident happened on Monday.
Aliyu stated that the students reportedly showed signs of an adverse drug reaction after they received the tablets from the school authorities.
Praziquantel is the drug used to treat schistosomiasis, commonly known as bilharzia, a parasitic disease linked to contact with freshwater contaminated by the parasites.
The police spokesman said the affected students were taken to the hospital for treatment, and no casualties or deaths were recorded.
He further stated that the remaining 25 students, who had been kept in hospital for additional medical attention, had also been treated and discharged.
According to him, all the affected students were in good health and had been reunited with their families and schoolmates.
The Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, expressed appreciation to members of the public for their cooperation and calmness throughout the incident.
He called on residents to avoid spreading unverified reports and rumors and assured them that the command would keep protecting lives and property throughout the state.
