Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, has spoken on the latest update on the mystery sickness that has plagued a community in the state. Adeyanju revealed that the disease,which had killed over 15 people in the Irele local government area of the state, was not contagious. He also revealed that ethanol was reported in the body of the victims so far, and that it was suspected as a possible cause of the disease.
”Our investigations revealed that the victims, who are commercial motorcyclists, gathered at some local joints to take alcoholic substance mixed with roots and some other local herbs on the eve of the outbreak of the disease. I can assure you that the disease is in no way contagious. The fact that none of the caregivers has contracted the disease has greatly underscored this point.
”Therefore, the fear of spread does not arise and should be discouraged. We strongly suspect ethanol poison and in view of this, we have ordered for another toxicology test for surviving victims,’’ Adeyanju said. Adeyanju also added that 5 survivors of the mystery disease, who had gone blind, were being monitored at the University Teaching Hospital, Ibadan.
Meanwhile in another report, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in a tweet that Pesticide poisoning was the likely cause of the mysterious deaths of at least 18 people in a southwestern Nigerian town earlier this week, the World Health Organization said Sunday. The "current hypothesis is cause of the event is herbicides. Tests done so far are negative for viral and bacterial infection," he added.
The victims began showing symptoms early last week in what Ondo state spokesman Kayode Akinmade called a "mysterious disease", prompting fears of a new infectious disease outbreak in a region ravaged by Ebola. The victims, whose symptoms included headache, weight loss, blurred vision and loss of consciousness, died within a day of falling ill in the town of Ode-Irele, in southwestern Ondo state.
The Ondo state health commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, told AFP last Saturday that 23 people had been affected. Akinmade said health officials and experts from the government and aid agencies, as well as WHO epidemiologists, had arrived in Ode-Irele to investigate the deaths. The tests were carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the WHO said.
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