Six members of a family resident at Anyoke community in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, have died as a result of food poisoning from consuming cassava flour.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adam who led the Epidemiology Division of the state and officers of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the community, confirmed the sad development, describing how the incident occurred on July 27th, 2024.
The Commissioner disclosed that eight victims who ate the food and showed bizarre symptoms were rushed to three different hospitals, but only two responded to treatment and discharged.
“Primary cause of death is multiple organ failure secondary to suspected food poisoning. Sample of the cassava flour has been taken in collaboration with the state ministry of Agriculture for toxicological analysis.
“The Kogi state borne the medical bills of the victims and shall communicate the final report of the toxicology to the public. The government expresses gratitude to the healthcare workers for their dedication to work and ensuring the survival of two of the victims.
“A detailed case investigation was conducted in the settlement of the cases, with engagement of the community leader and neighbors, where an assessment of their environmental sanitation conditions and water source were carried out. No further case of watery stooling or vomiting has been reported in the household or community. There hasn’t been any case of similar deaths in the past 12months within that community, and no unusual animal death in the community,” he noted.
He thanked the community for their cooperation and advised every community to maintain healthy living, vigilance and report suspicious findings.
