I recently got a message from a friend of mine, bringing my attention to the latest outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria.
I've always known that Lassa Fever had something to do with rats but I never knew the specifics. For instance I didn't know that it is the multi-breasted rat also known as a multi-mamate rat(big grammar!) that harbours the dreaded Lassa virus and passes it on via its urine or feaces.
Now the very interesting thing about the message was that it pointed the latest outbreaks intensity to the consumption of GARRI! Yes our beloved garri.
Now the problem in very simple terms is this; when garri is processed in the rural areas and spread out to dry, these damnable plenty breasted rats go to nimble on the garri, in the process defecating on the garri.
The garri is packaged and sent to the market where we sometimes chew on it when we want to buy(to have an initial taste).
So the warning was this; " Only eat garri made into Eba, because the heat from the hot water kills the virus. Don't chew nor soak the garri unless you can vouch for it's source" His words not mine.
But either way, it is imperative we take extra precautions during this trying time of this latest outbreak of Lassa fever till it blows over.
Wash your hands, boil your food,clean your surroundings and buy rat poison( am kidding), and for goodness sake desist from eating rat/rodent barbecue (We should have learnt from Ebola by now, HABA!)
Written by Kesiena Ari-Eromose Ugbowie (@its_me_kes; twitter)
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