The Committee on Infectious Diseases Outbreak in Kano says at least four persons have been confirmed dead and 189 others on treatment for poisoning from consuming an expired juice drink.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Dr Bashir Lawal disclosed this to reporters on Tuesday.

But earlier on Monday, the National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said the poison came from expired satchet water and a locally produced juice drink.

Lawal said the incident came to notice on Thursday after hundreds of persons in Kano metropolis were hospitalised with cases of frequent vomiting, joint dizziness and blood in urine.

”Health officials initially thought it was a lassa fever outbreak, but subsequent laboratory tests revealed a case of food poisoning,” Lawal added.

He said that while two of the deaths were recorded at a health facility the other two infected persons died at home.

The official said so far, 189 persons have been confirmed poisoned by the drink and are receiving treatment at various infectious diseases control centres across the state.

Reports say that there is fear of unreported deaths across the state after many low income residents resorted to consuming uncertified products due to hot weather in northern Nigeria’s most populous city.

The state’s Ministry of Health said it had expanded its treatment centres to health facilities across the local government areas as the figure of infected persons swells.

Mr Lawal said the emergency had spread to about eight local council areas, as the state government was taking measures to prevent further spread.

Meanwhile, the state’s Consumer Protection Agency said it had apprehended four persons in connection to the distribution of the poisonous drink.

The acting Managing Director of the agency, Baffa Babba-Da’agundi, said the agency busted a warehouse in Minjibir Local Government Area where the drink was being kept for distribution.

Reacting to the development, the state’s coordinator for NAFDAC, Shaba Muhammad, told newsmen on Monday in Kano that the samples were referred to its laboratory in Kaduna for analysis.

Mr Muhammad said the agency received a report of manifestation of a strange disease suspected to be caused by drinking sachet water and locally processed drinks in the metropolis.

“Reports indicated that the infection involves sachet water and local drinks suspected to be prepared with expired and adulterated products.

“We collected samples of the suspected water and the products for analysis to establish the cause of the disease,” the official was quoted as saying.