The Ondo State government has advised residents of Ode-Irele and its environs against the consumption of local gin, also known as Ogogoro, following discovery that victims of the Irele strange ailment could have died from possible methanol poisoning after consuming the mixture.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, gave the advice on Monday while giving reporters update of the incident in Akure, the State Capital.
Dr Adeyanju said the government had begun sensitisation on why people should avoid taking all manner of local gin at this period since it was still difficult to trace the source of the alcoholic substance taken by some of the Ode-Irele victims.
He said the state government was on top of the situation, assuring Nigerians that the final report on the investigations into the mysterious deaths, especially the toxicology test would soon be made public.
Earlier reports say the World Health Organization, (WHO) had linked the cause of death to possible pesticide poisoning.
But the Ondo State Coordinator of WHO, Dr. Akinola Fatigerun, dissociated the organisation from the reports.
He said the cause of death of the victims would be known when the report of the test is released.