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.
Dr Furo Green said the call became necessary as rats that
cause Lassa fever are mostly in contact with garri.
“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”.
He warned members of the public to keep personal hygiene
of washing hands, keeping our environment clean of leftover
food and other measures.
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.
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