[b]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.[/b]
