Revealed: ‘Ogogoro’ cause of Ondo strange disease

The Minister of State for Health, Fidelis Nwankwo, says the strange disease that ravaged a community in Ondo state was as a result of consumption of local gin, popularly called ogogoro in some parts that was contaminated with methanol.

Government said Monday that the disease had been brought under control after 18 deaths, and that in the past 100 hours, there has been no new case of the disease.

The minister said the government was investigating the particular poisonous methanol substance involved in the outbreak, and assured that the stability achieved in the last few days will be sustained.

He stated that, “Preliminary laboratory investigations indicate 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 being conducted by the government and our partners are still being awaited and will be made public as soon as possible,” he said.

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