The mysterious disease claimed 18 Nigerians in one day

Authorities in southeastern Nigerian town say at least 18 people have died due to a mysterious disease .

Mysterious disease in Nigeria

A Nigerian health official wearing a protective mask waits to screen passengers at the lobby of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria.

Internet artwork

'There have been 23 people infected and 18 reported dead,' said Dayo Adeyanju, a health official in the country.

According to News, the strange illness caused the victim to die within 24 hours of illness . 'Symptoms are reported including headache, weight loss, visual impairment and unconsciousness due to loss of consciousness' , Tarik Jasarevic, spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) said. He said surveys are being rushed.

Recent tests exclude the possibility of strange disease originating from Ebola or any other bacteria. WHO said it had received information of 14 cases, of which at least 12 had died.

According to a preliminary report, all infected people begin to show their first symptoms around April 13-15 . The WHO has taken samples of blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid from several patients and sent them to Lagos University Hospital for testing. Large-scale surveys are ongoing.