Residents
of Port Harcourt have been advised to stop drinking garri soaked in cold water
for now, because rats that carry the highly contagious Lassa
fever virus also
like exposed dry garri.
.
Dr.
Furo Green, the Chairman of Rivers State branch of Nigerian Medical
Association, NBA, gave this medical advice, while speaking on the Lassa Fever
scourge in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital.He said
.
“Because
you are not sure which garri has been infected by rats, its advisable to stay
away. When you want to sip garri, you only pour cold water, add sugar and milk
as the case may be.
.
“When
you do that you only succeed in gulping a life virus that can cause Lassa fever.
The virus is empowered easily to attack you. Rather, garri should be consumed
in the traditional way prepare it well boiled hot water or pour the garri in a
pot of boiling hot water and steer it.”
.
Dr.
Green also advised members of the public to store food in closed containers to
keep rats at bay.
.
“When
you buy foodstuffs like garri, you should pour it into a container that is
covered to avoid the garri from being contaminated infected rats”.
.
Since
the outbreak of Lassa fever disease, three people have died in Rivers state,
claiming the life of a medical doctor with the state-owned Braithwaite Memorial
Specialised Hospital (BMHS), Livy Ijamala, on Wednesday January 13 night.
.
The
medical doctor was said to have contracted the fever from a pregnant woman that
conducted an emergency Cesarean Section unknown to him that she was infected.
.
The
death of Ijamala brought to three, the number of persons who have died from the
disease in the state, as a nursing mother and her two-week-old baby died
earlier from the virus.
.
Source:
PM News
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