Dakar, November 21: Over 500 fishermen who returned from sea in Senegal were diagnosed with a "mysterious skin disease". The number of infections sparked an alarm in the West African nation, with the authorities barring seaside economic activities. The infected fishermen were sent to quarantine for treatment. China Says COVID-19 Detected on More Fish Exports from India Amid Growing Criticism.

Ousmane Gueye, national director of health information and education, told reporters that the infection found on their skin is suspected to be a kind of "dermatitis". The officials are trying to ascertain what the disease exactly is, he added.

Apart from the skin infection, a number of the infected fishermen have also reported fever and body aches. A report released by the Health Ministry on November 17 said the men had "lesions on their faces, extremities and for some, on their genitals", apart from increased body temperature and headaches.

The first case of the rare infection was reported on November 12, when a 20-year-old fishermen was found with vesicular rash, swollen face, dried lips and redness in eyes. A spree of similar cases were reported in the next five days from the fishing towns located closed to capital Dankar.

As part of their research to prevent an epidemic, the Senegalese government said it will direct the Navy to bring water samples from various points of the sea for a scientific analysis.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2020 06:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).