Cholera Outbreak in Eti-Osa Linked to Unregistered Tiger Nut Drink

The Lagos State government has reported that cholera patients in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area (LGA) consumed an unregistered tiger nut drink, leading to the recent outbreak in the area.

Eti-Osa has become the center of the latest cholera outbreak in Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city and commercial capital. As of June 21, the state has recorded 24 deaths and 35 confirmed cholera cases.

Kemi Ogunyemi, the special adviser to the Lagos State governor on health, revealed in an interview with Punch on Saturday that the government noticed a spike in suspected cholera cases in Eti-Osa LGA and conducted a firsthand assessment of the area.

Ogunyemi stated that a survey indicated that patients who visited hospitals had consumed a specific tiger nut drink. The authorities then sought to locate this drink to test it for cholera contamination.

“We found empty bottles with a name on them, but discovered that it wasn’t registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),” Ogunyemi explained. “There was a phone number and a name on the bottle, and we started tracing. We conducted contact tracing, similar to our approach during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Despite extensive efforts, officials could not find any full bottles of the drink, making it impossible to test for contamination. The phone number listed on the bottle was also unreachable.

Considering cholera is water-borne, the government tested water samples and collected stool samples from patients to identify the source of the illness. It was confirmed that the outbreak was caused by Vibrio cholerae subtype 01, the most infectious and aggressive strain of cholera.

Ogunyemi noted that the highest number of cholera cases were reported in Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, and Kosofe LGAs. The affected individuals sought medical treatment and were diagnosed with cholera.

In response, the government has intensified sensitization and awareness campaigns to prevent the outbreak from escalating into a more severe epidemic.