Blessing Bello, Reporting
THE death toll from the suspected poisonous alcohol outbreak in Ondo State has risen to 49, with the number of affected persons now standing at 170, health authorities have confirmed.
Providing an update in Akure, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, disclosed that fresh cases had been recorded in Irele Local Government Area, signalling that the outbreak has spread beyond its original epicentre.
Dr Ajaka said health authorities were intensifying surveillance, case management and contact tracing in a bid to contain the outbreak and identify the source of the poisonous substance.
He added that medical teams had been deployed to the affected communities to monitor the situation, manage cases and trace the origin of the suspected toxic beverage.
The commissioner further revealed that the state government was collaborating with security and regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant bodies.
He noted that the matter was discussed at a national meeting involving commissioners for health across the country and officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), where Ondo State’s rapid response in surveillance, case management and tracking was commended.
In an earlier briefing, Dr Ajaka had disclosed that 29 people died following the suspected poisoning in Odigbo Local Government Area, with 121 persons affected at that stage.
According to him, the deaths in Odigbo resulted from locally produced alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal substances consumed during two naming ceremonies in the affected communities.
He explained that investigations showed an individual who was not a member of either of the families hosting the ceremonies procured the substance and brought it to the event for guests to consume.
The affected communities previously identified in Odigbo Local Government Area include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga.
As a precautionary measure, the state government has banned the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal beverages in Odigbo Local Government Area.
The police have also arrested a suspect in Araromi-Obu in connection with the production and distribution of the substances, while further investigation is ongoing.
