Lassa fever: Despite warning, Enugu residents continue to drink ‘garri’

Some residents of Enugu State have continued to drink cassava flakes, popularly called garri, inspite of cautions against it due to resurgence of Lassa fever in some parts of the country.

A cross section of the residents who spoke to NAN on Thursday in Enugu said that they had not seen a Lassa Fever patient but only heard about it through the media.

Mrs Beatrice Chigbo, a tailor at Agbani Road in Enugu, said that she always drinks garri, especially when the weather is hot.

Chigbo said that Lassa fever as a disease was not new to her, adding that it would not stop her from drinking garri.

A resident of Achara Layout, Miss Udodi Ibe, said she had been hearing about Lassa fever but had never seen anyone suffering from the disease.

According to Ibe, it is difficult for someone to stop drinking garri due to a fever that exists elsewhere.

Mr Chukwu Olisa, a beans seller at Mayor Market, said that he drinks garri most afternoons as lunch because he enjoys it with cold water, groundnut, milk and sugar.

“It is one of my favourite foods, so it will be difficult for me to stop taking it,” he said.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that hunger in the country would increase the number of people who drink garri on a daily basis.

“For me, no disease is attached to drinking garri, after all, the practice has been in existence for ages and I have not seen anybody confirmed dead from the disease,” she said.

Mr Livinus Ugochukwu, a mechanic, said that since it was not in Enugu, he had been drinking garri and nothing had happened to him.

“Since Lassa fever has not spread to Enugu, I still drink my garri, because it is easy to prepare.

However, a teacher, Miss Juliet Ozo, said that drinking garri was one of her favourite meals, but with the resurgence of Lassa Fever, she decided to quit.

“Lassa Fever is real, people should know it, keep their environment and always close their doors and foods to prevent rodents from coming into their houses, as the disease is gotten from the rodents urine and faeces,” she said.

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