The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirmed that seven people have suffered from total or partial blindness after consuming methanol-contaminated alcoholic and herbal concoctions in Ondo State.
Our correspondent in Ondo state reports that the tragedy followed an outbreak of suspected methanol poisoning tied to a locally brewed herbal alcoholic drink popularly known as “Monkey Tail” in Odigbo and Irele Local Government Areas of the state.
NAFDAC, in an update on the incident by its Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said the outbreak was initially reported in early September following cases of sudden illness and deaths among people who reportedly consumed the suspected products.
The Agency says preliminary laboratory analysis has detected high concentrations of methanol in locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions linked to the deaths of 48 people.
It confirmed that 182 cases had so far been recorded following the consumption of the suspected concoctions in parts of Odigbo and Irele Local Government Areas.
NAFDAC said the affected communities included New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga, with Odigbo Town and Araromi-Obu particularly affected.
According to the agency, 90 affected people were admitted and subsequently discharged, while six remain hospitalised and 31 were treated as outpatients.
NAFDAC said that five victims had become totally blind, while two others suffered partial blindness.
It explained that the affected persons presented symptoms including headache, general body weakness and pain, visual disturbances, difficulty in breathing and altered consciousness, with some cases deteriorating rapidly.
NAFDAC said 15 people had been arrested in connection with the suspected production, sale and distribution of the implicated alcoholic herbal drinks.
The agency said 15 unlabelled samples of the suspected concoctions were subjected to toxicological, microbiological and chemical analyses.
It explained that acute oral toxicity tests conducted on laboratory mice showed that all the samples caused critical illness in the animals, with approximately 50 per cent mortality recorded in six of the 15 samples tested.
The agency also said that chemical screening detected Cannabis indica in 11 samples, while gas chromatography confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol.
NAFDAC said methanol was highly toxic and could cause severe health complications, including blindness, organ failure and death.
It said the combination of the animal mortality recorded during testing and the presence of methanol strongly suggested that the samples posed a serious public health risk.
NAFDAC stressed that the findings were preliminary and additional testing was ongoing to determine the exact concentration of methanol and identify any other toxic substances that may have contributed to the illnesses and deaths.
The agency said surveillance, case management, investigation and risk-control measures were also ongoing to prevent further exposure.
NAFDAC cautioned that the reported figures remained subject to verification as investigations and surveillance continued.
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