At least two persons have reportedly died and 167 others hospitalized on Thursday in suspected case of food poisoning in Kano State.
Apart from vomiting and dizziness, some of the victims said they notice blood in their urine.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the incidents occurred after the victims drank a local juice mixture made from an expired flavor called “Jolly Juice” in the state.
Some of the worst hit areas in the metropolis are Warure, Dandago and Sabon Sara.
This newspaper gathered that in Warure Makasa area, 13 persons, all in the same house, were hospitalized after taking the juice.
Six more people within the metropolis were also infected, with one person each in Garangamawa and Sabon Sara areas dying of the illness.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the disease had spread across some local government areas of the state.
The state Ministry of Health has expanded its treatment centres across some health facilities across the local councils as the cases rise to 167.
The director, Disease Control of the ministry, Dr Bashir Lawan, said the ministry had set aside eight facilities to treat the patients.
He confirmed that the disease has transmitted to about eight local government areas, adding that the ministry is up and doing to control it and check further spread across the state.
Victim speaks
One of the victims, Siyama Rabi’u, told DAILY NIGERIAN that she made the juice and distributed it to many people in the house, not knowing that the flavor she bought was expired.
Mrs Rabi’u said after cooking a meal for her family members, she prepared the juice and everybody took it.
“A few moments after taking the juice, my daughter started vomiting and blood started coming out from her urine.
“As I was struggling to provide the first aid to her, I too started feeling dizzy and started vomiting. I also urinated with blood. I then became devastated.
“Before you knew it, all the people that took that drink got infected and we were all rushed to a hospital where we got treated.
“After we were discharged from the hospital, the situation deteriorated again and we were taken to Imamu Wali Hospital and afterward transferred to Aminu Kano Hospital,” she narrated.
The victim added that they did not realise that the juice flavor had expired since October 2020 until after they all recovered.
State consumer protection agency reacts
When contacted, the Kano State Consumer Protection Council said it had received the report and swung into action.
The council, through its acting Managing Director, Baffa Da’agundi, said it had launched an investigation into the matter.
Mr Da’agundi added that the council had also confiscated many expired juice flavors within the said period.
