Six Die Of Suspected Food Poisoning In Kogi

At least six individuals reportedly lost their lives recently in a community in Kogi State over alleged food poisoning.

Naija News learnt that the incident happened in Anyoke, Okunchi Ward, within the Adavi Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that the victims began experiencing severe symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea shortly after consuming a meal prepared with cassava flour last week.

It has been reported that eight family members who ingested the dish, known as Amala, were promptly taken to three different medical facilities for treatment.

Out of these, six were diagnosed with multiple organ failure and subsequently succumbed to related complications.

Fortunately, the remaining two individuals received appropriate medical care and have since been discharged from the hospital.

In response to this incident, the Kogi State Ministry of Health has established a committee to investigate the potential food poisoning case.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Hon. AbdulAzzez Adams Adeiza, mentioned that he visited the two survivors on Monday and confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.

“A specialised team consisting of state and WHO officials, including the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO), WHO officers, and local health officials, has been deployed to investigate the outbreak.

“Samples of the cassava flour have been collected for toxicological analysis in collaboration with the state Ministry of Agriculture.

“The Kogi State Government has taken responsibility for the medical bills of the victims and will release the final report of the toxicology to the public.

“Thankfully, no additional cases of watery stooling or vomiting have been reported in the household or community,” Daily Trust quoted the commissioner saying.