The Federal Ministry of Health and World
Health Organization, WHO, say that the
consumption of contaminated alcohol (gin) is
believed to be responsible for the outbreak of
the strange disease that has claimed at least
18 lives in Ondo state. At a joint press
conference today, the Minister of State for
Health, Mr Fidelis Nwankwo said the disease
is not in anyway related to Ebola virus disease
as was earlier speculated.
"Preliminary laboratory investigations
indicates that the outbreak cannot be
attributed to any infectious organism,
bacterial or viral. The outbreak is also clearly
not due to Ebola virus disease as feared by
many at first. Epidemiological findings
indicate a strong linkage of the outbreak to a
consumption of a local gin that had been
contaminated with methanol, a poisonous
material. At this stage the particular
poisonous substance is being ascertained. The
results of this very detailed investigation
currently been conducted by the government
and our partners are still been awaited and
will be made public as soon as possible"he
said.