The Director of Public Health, Enugu State, Dr. Boniface Okolo, has cautioned Nigerians against the consumption of soaked garri to avoid contacting Lassa fever.
Okolo, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Enugu, said the rats that cause the disease were mostly in contact with Nigeria’s most popular staple food, garri, a cassava product.
He added that it was necessary to discourage consumption of soaked garri since it did not require boiled water.
Okolo noted that boiled water could go a long way in killing bacteria caused by pest or rodents in garri.
“It is better that the cassava flakes called garri is used for eba, because of the use of hot water.
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