Health

Public told to avoid highly poisonous plant washed up on Cumbria beaches

Plants that look and smell like parsnips but are highly poisonous and potentially deadly have been washed up on beaches in Cumbria after the recent stormy weather.

Coastguards have warned people to avoid the plants called hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata), which is also known as dead man’s fingers.

The coastguard rescue team based in Millom said they had received reports of the plant being washed up on local beaches.

“Even a small portion can prove fatal to humans by attacking the nervous system,” they said on their Facebook page. “It is also fatal to animals. The plant has a highly poisonous root that looks and smells like parsnip.

“It is highly likely that this is happening due to the aftermath of recent stormy weather. We advise people, especially with children and animals, to stay vigilant, avoid this plant and take extra care when visiting the beach.”

Hemlock water dropwort, with leaves and stems which look like parsley, is one of Britain’s most poisonous indigenous plants. Eating it can cause nausea, vomiting, fever, seizures and hallucination.

Deaths have occurred but are far more common in animals than humans, said Geoff Dann, a foraging teacher and writer who is about to publish a new book on edible plants.

“It is known to kill livestock. Usually what happens is that it gets disturbed by the edge of a river by earthworks, or something, and the roots are exposed and are eaten by livestock.

“There are also cases of people digging it up and thinking it is a plant you can eat, like water parsnip or wild celery … but that is pretty rare.”

It is highly poisonous “but you’d have to eat a lot of it to die”, he said. “They are great big fat tubers, but who walks along a beach and picks up a random wild plant washed up on a beach and eats it? It seems a weird thing to do.”

Deaths are rare but the unpleasantness and dangers of the plant was highlighted by a report in the Emergency Medical Journal (EMJ) about eight young adults on holiday in Argyll.

They collected what they thought were water parsnips from a stream and made a curry. Ten hours later one of the group had a seizure and was taken to hospital. Others also became unwell and nauseous and a further person had be admitted to hospital after eating leftovers.

The EMJ report concluded: “It is possible that with increasing interest in ‘natural’ foods, accidental poisoning of this nature may become more frequent. These cases illustrate the potential dangers of this, but highlight the fact that even in small communities expertise is available and if accessed appropriately can be invaluable.”

Researchers in Italy have also written that hemlock water dropwort was used in pre-Roman Sardinia for the ritual killing of older people considered a burden.

The plant, it has been said, leaves corpses with what could be described as a sardonic grin.

Dann said the plant was not Britain’s most toxic. That accolade, he believes, should go to monkshood, or wolf’s bane. “There was a case a few years ago of a guy clearing it and he had a cut on his hand. The sap went in to the cut and it was enough to kill him.”

Health

JOHESU gives FG 15-day deadline to embark on strike

Health care workers under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address all lingering issues with the union or risks another round of industrial action.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the national chairman and national secretary of the union, noted that the Federal Government has not been able to address their demands since June last year when they suspended their strike, owing to promises from President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

The statement highlighted the union’s demands to include non-payment of covid-19 hazard allowance to members, the demand for tax waiver on health care workers’ allowances, and call for the immediate suspension of the plans to establish an agency that regulates the activities in national health facilities.

JOHESU embarked on strike between May 19, 2023 and June 6, 2023 last year, a two-week period that almost crippled health care services in public hospitals. The strike was called off following Tinubu’s promise to intervene.

Health

Yobe confirms 4 new polio cases

The Yobe Government has confirmed four new cases of polio in three Local Government Areas three years after the state was declared polio-free.

The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Babagana Kundi-Machina, made this disclosure while launching a campaign against the disease in Machina, a border LGA with Niger Republic, on Saturday.

He said that the State Government, in collaboration with its partners, had launched a state-wide outbreak response and vaccination exercise to address the situation.

“It is unfortunate that after three years of being certified polio-free, we have recorded a circulating polio virus outbreak in Bursari, Machina, and Yusufari LGAs,” Kundi-Machina said.

The State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr Hamisu Alhassan, pledged the organisation’s support to the state toward curbing the outbreak.

He called on the public to adopt preventive measures, including personal and environmental hygiene, hand washing, and immunisation to boost immunity and promote good health, especially among women and children.

On his part, the Emir of Machina, Alhaji Bashir Machinama, urged his people to cooperate with the government by accepting the vaccine.

Machinama thanked the State Government for its prompt response and pledged to sensitise his community to take relevant steps to contain the disease.

Health

Cholera kills 11 in Ebonyi

A cholera outbreak in Ndibokote village, located in the Ezza Inyimagu area of Izzi Local Government, has claimed the lives of 10 people, including a nursing mother who leaves behind a nine-month-old baby.

The outbreak, confirmed by Ebonyi State Health Commissioner Dr. Moses Ekuma through a statement issued by ministry spokesperson Lucy Anyim, has affected approximately 20 others who are currently receiving treatment. Health officials are working diligently to contain the disease and prevent further spread in the community.

Dr. Ekuma noted that Governor Francis Nwifuru has approved the procurement of essential medical supplies to manage the crisis.

Additionally, three treatment centers have been established in the affected area, including Iziogo Health Centre, Sudan Mission Onuenyim, and a facility in Ndibokote village.

Open defecation and poor hygiene practices, along with reliance on stream water for drinking, are believed to be contributing factors to the outbreak.

Residents have been urged to follow precautionary measures to reduce the risk of further infections. Health authorities are on high alert to ensure the situation remains under control.