The World Health Organization (WHO) has blamed the mysterious deaths of 18 people in a village in Ondo State, south-west Nigeria on pesticide poisoning.
The WHO spokesperson, Gregory Haertl, said tests done so far at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) were negative for viral and bacterial infection, but revealled that a weedkiller was most likely responsible.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dayo Adeyanju, has asked visitors to stay away from the ancient town of Ode-Irele until the situation stabilises.
Contrary to the WHO death figure, earlier reports had put the mortality rate in the outbreak of the unknown disease linked by traditionalists in the area to the desecration of a shrine, at 20
The WHO had, however, confirmed the figure to be 18, linking it to chemical intoxication.
