Health authorities in Ondo State have intensified surveillance and response efforts following the emergence of new suspected poisoning cases in Irele Local Government Area.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, disclosed the development while providing an update on the situation, saying medical teams had been deployed to affected communities to monitor the outbreak, manage cases and trace the source of the suspected poisonous substance.
Ajaka said health officials were also strengthening contact tracing and surveillance as part of efforts to contain the situation and establish the source of the substance responsible for the cases.
The state government is working with security and regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant agencies.
The commissioner also disclosed that the situation was discussed at a national meeting involving health commissioners from across the country and officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
He said Ondo State’s response, particularly in the areas of surveillance, case management and tracking, was commended at the meeting.
The latest development follows an earlier briefing by Ajaka in which he disclosed that 29 people had died while 121 others were affected in connection with the suspected poisoning in Odigbo Local Government Area.
According to the commissioner, investigations linked the deaths in Odigbo to locally produced alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal substances consumed during two naming ceremonies in the affected communities.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that an individual who was not a member of one of the families hosting a naming ceremony had procured the substance and brought it to the event for guests to consume.
The communities previously affected in Odigbo Local Government Area include New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu and Oniparaga.
As part of measures to prevent further fatalities, the Ondo State Government imposed a ban on the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal beverages in Odigbo Local Government Area.
The police have also arrested a suspect in Araromi-Obu in connection with the alleged production and distribution of the substances, while investigations into the incident continue.
Authorities have urged residents in affected areas to cooperate with health officials and relevant agencies as efforts continue to identify the source of the suspected poisonous substance and prevent further cases.