Amala consumption results in the deaths of a 70-year-old grandma, her son, and two others. Read about the circumstances of this tragedy.
After a poisoned Amala meal resulted in the deaths of a 70-year-old grandmother, her son, and two other family members in the Eruda community located in Ilorin, Kwara State Government has implemented its Healthcare on Outbreak Response Mode.
Confirmed by Dr. Amina El-Imam, the Commissioner of Health for the state, it has been found that consumption of Amala laced with poison led to all reported deaths. Additionally, during a press conference in Ilorin she also informed about one more fatality caused due to gastroenteritis.
Upon becoming aware of the family’s tragic loss, El-Imam clarified that the complete health team had paid a visit to their community. It was discovered that Lafun-Amala, prepared from cassava flour and suspected to be responsible for this occurrence, had been consumed by those affected.
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According to El-Imam, upon arrival it was reported that a 70-year-old lady had suffered from and passed away due to food poisoning after consuming Amala. The woman’s son and grandchildren also consumed the same meal and were taken to University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital but unfortunately did not survive.
According to the commissioner, it was observed that consuming a combination of Lafun and Amala caused the illness. However, those who consumed only yam flour did not experience any side effects.
Currently, there are several individuals who became ill after ingesting the contaminated food and they are in hospitals receiving treatment. According to El-Imam, “Some of them are making positive progress and with appropriate medical attention, it is expected that they will make a full recovery.” Additionally, El-Iman noted that unsatisfactory personal hygiene practices as well as inadequate environmental cleanliness may have played a role in this situation.
According to El-Imam’s suggestion, the cause of food poisoning could be attributed to inadequately processed cassava in Lafun. “Presently, four more cases are recuperating and sadly we lost four,” she noted.
The commissioner reported an incident that had connection to it, in which a person suffered from gastroenteritis and succumbed to death in Osin Gada of the Ilorin West Local Government Area. The symptoms observed were vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; however Initial Rapid Diagnostic Test confirmed that this was not cholera but indeed due to gastroenteritis.
El-Imam emphasized the necessity of enhanced personal and environmental cleanliness. Additionally, he ensured that measures are being taken to supply better quality drinking water in order to avert future occurrences of outbreaks.
