Herbicide Likely Cause of Ondo ‘Mystery’ Disease – WHO

According to this tweet by WHO spokesman, Gregory Hartl, pesticide poisoning is the likely cause of the mysterious deaths of over 18 people in Ondo State earlier this week.

The victims began showing symptoms early last week in what Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, called a “mysterious disease”, prompting fears of a new infectious disease outbreak in the country.

The victims, whose symptoms included headache, weight loss, blurred vision and loss of consciousness, died within a day of falling ill in the town of Ode-Irele, in Ondo State.

State Health Commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, told AFP on Saturday that 23 people had been affected. Adding that health officials and experts from the government and aid agencies, as well as WHO epidemiologists, had arrived in Ode-Irele to investigate the deaths.

The tests were carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the WHO said.