Food poisoning: Family dies after using fertiliser instead of salt

Tragic news coming out of Nigeria: A family of 24 people have all died after consuming poisoned food. According to several media outlets, the family had mistaken fertiliser for salt.

News of the deaths were confirmed by a local government official earlier this week. The incident is believed to have occurred in Danzanke village, a remote community that is located in Soko State, the northern part of the country.

Nigerian family mistakes fertiliser for salt

According to the Soko State health commissioner Ali Inname, the family used fertiliser chemical popularly called ” Gishirin Lalle in Hausa” as a seasoning in domestic family cooking instead of table salt.

Inname has also revealed that two other members of the family managed to survive and are receiving treatment in hospital. They apparently only tasted the food and didn’t have a full meal.

The details are not quite clear at this point, but all indications are that the fertiliser and salt were both kept at the same place, which could explain the confusion.

“Regrettably, the entire family who ate the meal lost their lives except two female members who merely tasted the food and are currently responding to treatment, with very good chances of survival. Attempts to save the lives of all the affected people by providing the needed medical care proved abortive”

Soko State health commissioner Ali Inname

In the wake of the incident, people have since been urged to be more careful by separating storage sites for food items from other agricultural and cosmetic items. Inname has also advised people to check all ingredients and foodstuff before using them.

“Wells should have covers to prevent contamination from faces of surface water after rainfall. The water should be boiled before use, especially in rural areas. Report to a health facility or isolation camp in your area early when you observe any unusual symptoms or unusual conditions,” he said.