A suspected alcohol poisoning outbreak in Ondo State has left 29 people dead and 60 others sick, raising fresh concerns over the safety of locally brewed alcoholic and herbal drinks sold in some communities.
The state government confirmed the deaths on Friday night, saying the victims were mainly residents of communities in Odigbo Local Government Area who reportedly became ill after consuming substances suspected to be alcoholic herbal drinks.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, disclosed the figures in Akure, revealing that three patients were still receiving treatment in hospitals while 27 others remained under medical observation.
According to the government, about 95 percent of those affected are males between the ages of 16 and 55. The affected communities include Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga.
The outbreak has sparked alarm because some victims reportedly deteriorated rapidly after developing symptoms including headache, body pain, weakness, visual disturbance, breathing difficulty and altered consciousness.
Ajaka said the pattern of illness and the reported history of exposure has created a strong epidemiological suspicion that a toxic alcoholic substance may be involved.
However, the commissioner stressed that laboratory results had yet to establish what caused the deaths.
The government has collected 36 blood and urine samples for laboratory analysis, while samples of the suspected alcoholic substances have also been submitted for toxicological testing.
The development has also triggered a crackdown, with several suspects reportedly taken into custody as authorities investigate the source and composition of the substances consumed by victims.
In response to the crisis, the state government imposed a temporary ban on the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic and alcoholic herbal beverages in Odigbo Local Government Area.
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The government urged residents to stay away from alcoholic products obtained from unlicensed sources and to seek urgent medical attention if they experience blurred vision, breathing difficulties, sudden weakness, confusion or loss of consciousness after drinking alcohol.
The scale of the deaths has heightened concerns over the regulation and monitoring of locally produced alcoholic beverages, particularly products whose contents may not be known to consumers.
Authorities, however, are yet to conclusively establish whether the suspected alcoholic substances were responsible for all 29 deaths.
The state government said it is working with regulatory and security agencies, as well as national and international partners, to determine the cause of the deaths and prevent further fatalities.
