In light of the recent cholera outbreak that has resulted in at least 53 deaths across the nation, health and nutritional experts have advised Nigerians to avoid consuming locally produced beverages from unknown sources and street vendors.
This precaution is crucial to prevent the further spread of this diarrheal infection, which is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water.
Naijatraffic learnt that, The experts have pointed out that some producers of popular drinks like zobo, kunu, and tiger nut package these beverages in reused plastic bottles that may be collected from unhygienic locations.
The water used in making these drinks and the hygiene conditions of the preparation areas are also in question.
Cholera, caused by the Vibrio cholera bacterium, presents with sudden and severe watery diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, fever, and nausea.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported over 1,528 suspected cholera cases in 31 states, with Lagos, Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, and Nasarawa being the most affected.
Notably, Lagos has seen a surge in cholera cases, with at least 29 fatalities among nearly 579 suspected cases.
Naijatraffic discovered that, Dr. Omobolanle Johnson, a Public Health Physician and Secretary of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, has highlighted the health risks posed by these unhygienic practices, warning that the bottles themselves may harbor bacteria that can lead to infections like cholera.
The public health expert added, “The person making the drink is just about the money. He or she doesn’t have any training in food safety.
“Again, what type of water are they using? With water, you can get all manner of diseases including cholera. Many of them do not have training in producing these drinks.
“The hazards from the point of accessing the material to the point of consumption should be examined. There should be quality control measures. All food should be regulated in Nigeria. ”
Further speaking, a Registered Dietician-Nutritionist, Olusola Malomo, noted unwashed pet bottles could harbour microorganisms which could further contaminate and grow in those packed drinks.
Malomo, who is an Assistant Chief Dietician at the Ajeromi General Hospital, Lagos, highlighted” No quality check and no safety protocols are observed. The producers have no form of training. There are a lot of safety issues around those drinks.”
The Lagos State Government has launched an investigation into the recent cholera outbreak, exploring various potential sources, including the popular tiger nut drink.
According to Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, the outbreak has been traced to a specific tiger nut drink consumed by numerous individuals in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area, who later presented symptoms such as diarrhea and other cholera-related issues at hospitals.
While the government has not yet released its final findings, Dr. Ogunyemi revealed that most of the affected individuals confirmed consuming the drink before showing symptoms.
The special adviser said, “So when we noticed an increase in cases in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos specifically, we went there to investigate. We carried out a survey and found that the common denominator, which was one of the deadly factors, was a tiger nut drink. People who came to the hospitals all identified that they had drunk tiger nut drinks. We couldn’t just take their word for it, so we had to take that drink and test it to see what was in it. We immediately sent people out to look for those selling it so we could take a sample.
“We found empty bottles with a name on them, but we discovered that it wasn’t even registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the regulatory body that ensures the safety of consumables. There was a phone number and a name on the bottle, and we started tracing. We did contact tracing, similar to what we did with COVID-19.
“From our investigations, we realized that the beverages were not registered, so the producers hadn’t gone through the processes to ensure that what they were producing was safe for the public to consume.”
Aina Olugbenga, a food safety expert, cautioned that reusing plastic bottles in Nigeria poses health risks, as most of these bottles are designed for single use only, and reuse can compromise consumer health.
Olugbenga pointed out, “I see a lot of them being used to make zobo, kunu, and tiger nut drinks by local women and hawkers. And the health implications are so much.
“We can’t guarantee the cleanliness of these bottles. One is that you don’t know who used it last, you don’t know what it was used for and then, you can’t guarantee the cleaning process.
“Most of these plastics are not reusable. They are supposed to at best be recycled and not to be reused. Most of the pet bottles that you are seeing in Nigeria are not meant to be reused. But we are reusing them. It is not safe, it is not hygienic.”
