Agency says 182 people have been affected, with seven suffering blindness, as 15 suspects are arrested over production and distribution of the drinks
By Bunmi Yekini
Nigeria’s food and drug regulator said on Friday that 48 people have died after consuming locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions in Ondo State, while laboratory tests detected high concentrations of toxic methanol in samples of the suspected drinks.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said 182 cases had so far been recorded in Odigbo Local Government Area and other affected communities, including Odigbo Town and Araromi-Obu.
The agency said five people had become totally blind and two others partially blind following consumption of the concoctions, while six people remained hospitalised. Ninety people had been treated and discharged, while 31 were treated as outpatients.
The outbreak was initially reported in early September after residents developed sudden and severe illness following consumption of the suspected drinks. Initial reports put the death toll at 31.
NAFDAC said its investigation had since led to the arrest of 15 people suspected of producing, selling or distributing the locally made alcoholic and herbal beverages.
Laboratory analysis of 15 unlabeled samples found that 11 contained cannabis indica, while gas chromatography confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol, NAFDAC said.
Methanol is a toxic form of alcohol that can cause severe poisoning, including visual impairment or blindness, organ failure and death.
The agency also conducted acute oral toxicity tests using laboratory mice. Six of the 15 samples resulted in critically ill animals and about 50% mortality, although the surviving animals recovered after 24 hours, NAFDAC said.
The regulator cautioned that the laboratory findings were preliminary and that further testing was under way to determine the precise concentration of methanol and identify other potentially toxic substances.
“The combination of high mortality in animal testing and confirmed methanol contamination strongly suggests that the samples pose a serious public health risk,” NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye said in the update report.
NAFDAC said surveillance, case management, investigation and measures to control further exposure were continuing, adding that the reported figures remained subject to verification.
The agency said the affected areas included New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with cases also reported in Irele Local Government Area.
NAFDAC urged continued vigilance while investigations into the source and distribution of the suspected concoctions proceed.