Don't drink garri with cold water - Doctor cautions

Residents of Rivers State have been warned to stop drinking Garri soaked in cold water due to rats that carry the highly contagious Lassa fever virus.

The Chairman of Rivers State branch of Nigerian Medical Association (NBA), Dr. Furo Green, gave the warning while speaking about the viral disease in Port Harcourt, the State capital.

“Because you are not sure which garri has been infected by rats, it’s advisable to stay away. When you want to sip garri, you only pour cold water, add sugar and milk as the case may be. When you do that you only succeed in gulping a life virus that can cause Lassa fever. The virus is empowered easily to attack you. Rather, garri should be consumed in the traditional way prepare it well boiled hot water or pour the garri in a pot of boiling hot water and steer it”, he said.

Dr. Green further cautioned the general public on the need to store their foodstuff in a covered container to avoid contamination from infected rats.

READ: Get live updates Lassa Fever outbreak in Nigeria

A medical doctor had died from the disease last week after being accidentally infected by a pregnant woman. He had carried out an emergency Caesarean Section on the woman, not knowing she was infected.

His death brought to brought to three, the number of persons who have died from the disease in Rivers - a nursing mother and her two-week-old baby died earlier from the virus.