The Ondo State Government says a strange disease that has killed at least 18 people since its outbreak on April 15 in Ode-Irele, Irele Local Government area of the state, is not contagious.
Dr Dayo Adeyanju, the Commissioner for Health in the state, disclosed this assurance at a press conference in Akure on Sunday.
He said findings from post-mortem carried out on the victims and other laboratory tests revealed that the disease was neither epidemic nor contagious.
The commissioner said preliminary report shows that ethanol poison was in the systems of all the victims.
He said “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.
“We strongly suspect ethanol poison and in view of this, we have ordered for another toxicology tests for surviving victims,” Adeyanju added.
Meanwhile the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said pesticide poisoning is the probable cause of 18 mysterious deaths in Ondo state.
Head of Public Relations/Social Media for WHO Gregory Haertl said tests done so far had been negative for viral and bacterial infections. He said the current theory was that the deaths were caused by weedkiller
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