Strange Disease In Irele Not Contagious – Ondo Govt

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Strange Disease In Irele Not Contagious – Ondo Govt

Ondo State government has said the strange disease that has killed some people since its outbreak on April 15 in Ode-Irele, Irele Local Government Area of the state, is not contagious.


The state commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, made the declaration on Sunday in Akure, during a news conference.


According to Adeyanju, the findings from post-mortem carried out on the victims and other laboratory tests revealed that the disease was neither epidemic nor contagious.


He said the preliminary report shows that ethanol poison mixed with roots was found in the systems of all the victims.

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Adeyanju said, “Our investigations have also revealed that the victims, who, interestingly, were all Okada riders, gathered at some local joints to consume alcoholic substance mixed with roots and some other local herbs on the eve of the outbreak of the disease.


“I can assure you that the disease is in no way contagious. The fact that none of the caregivers has contracted the disease has greatly underscored this point.”


“Therefore, the fear of spread does not arise and should be discouraged. We strongly suspect ethanol poison, and in view of this, we have ordered for another toxicology test for surviving victims,” Adeyanju said.


The commissioner, who said that there had been no report of new cases in the last three days, explained further that 23 people were affected in all, out of which 18 lost their lives.


He disclosed that five survivors, who have currently gone blind, have been referred to the University Teaching Hospital, (UCH) in Ibadan for further examination and monitoring.


Adeyanju said he would not join issues with traditionalists who believe that the outbreak of the disease was due to some angry god from whose shrines some youths were said to have gone to steal.



He said his job goes beyond explaining the god’s action as he was expected to back up his claims with available evidence.


The commissioner, however, said that the dead persons would be buried in body bags to curtail the spread of the disease.
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LEADERSHIP gathered that while the state government insists that the corpses be properly buried in a designated place, the locals and priest of “Malokun,” said to be in charge of the angry deity, believe they should be buried in evil forest as a means of appeasing the angry god .