13 die of food poisoning in Nigeria

Executive Secretary of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, said 13 people died, while 10 others survived food poisoning caused by clostridium perfringes in Abuja.

Muhammad disclosed that the disease broke out on Friday in Saburi community, Gwagwa ward of Abuja Municipal Area Council.

According to him, clostridium perfringes is a bacterium which occurs in the soil and contaminates food and the intestinal track of human beings.

The board had earlier said it suspected typhoid fever or shigella dysentery as the cause of the mysterious deaths in the community.

The board had taken blood samples from infected persons, water from the well and the three boreholes in the community for clinical diagnosis at the laboratory of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Muhammad said the NCDC results from the blood samples and the water showed presence of clostridium perfringes.

He said the bacterium caused food poisoning adding that the incubation period is between 4 and 24 hours.

“The bacteria tend to cause fever, abdominal pains and diarrhoea. Clostridium has a lot of toxin. That is why it easily causes a lot of death, especially to the malnourished people.”

Muhammad said the board on conjunction with FCT department of public health have been able to control the outbreak.