Lassa Fever Virus:Stop Consuming Soaked Garri, Health Workers Warn

Mr Razak Adeofalade, the Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union, Lagos State Council, yesterday said that the council would embark on public enlightenment to discourage consumption of soaked garri for now to prevent Lassa Fever. According to him, the house rats that cause Lassa Fever are mostly in contact with Nigeria’s most staple food, garri. His words: -

““We are going to encourage members of the public to depart from the process of drinking gari at this moment, it is better that the cassava flour is utilised for `eba,’ because of the use of hot water. .

We are waging total war and that is: `War against Rats,’ and that is what we are going to do to ensure we do not have another victim of Lassa Fever in the state. We will also be telling them to ensure that their fruits and raw vegetables are properly washed if they must be consumed raw and cook to the appropriate temperature.”