By  Sola Ogundipe

Worried by series of conflicting reports emanating from Ode-Irele in Ondo State over the outbreak of a strange disease, the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, NSP, has called for caution against false alerts and alarm with regards to the outbreak.

In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Olumide Dada, a health professional of the Department of Physiotherapy, University Health Service, University of Ibadan, Oyo State,the NSP remarked: “We join our voices with that of the State government, represented by the Health Commissioner, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, who stated that “findings from post-mortem carried out on the victims and other laboratory tests had revealed that the disease was neither epidemic nor contagious. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) said pesticide poisoning was the likely cause of the mysterious deaths.

“We therefore state that people should not raise false alert and alarm with regards to this outbreak. Fear, they say, has its torment, let us therefore desist from heightening the crisis with the spreading of false rumours.

“We consider as an encouraging news, the observation that the disease is in no way contagious. The fact that no caregiver has contracted the disease is a newsworthy report, which we hope will remain so until the outbreak is contained. Nevertheless we call for caution as further tests are being carried out,” he noted.

He said personal hygiene starting with regular hand-washing should become a regular practice with concerted efforts from everyone. “We also advise on the safe use of pesticides and discourage the use of unregulated herbal products.”

Preliminary reports from the Commissioner, showed that ethanol poison was found in the systems of all the victims. Our attention is particularly drawn to the report of the State government’s investigations which revealed that the victims, who were all Okada riders, gathered at some local joints to consume alcoholic substance mixed with roots and some other local herbs on the eve of the outbreak of the disease.

Dada noted that the NSP has always discouraged use of locally prepared concoctions, which is a common practice among transport operators for the ‘cure’ of low back pain – a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorders.