Silver Oloriat, a 10-year-old has died and four others been admitted after eating poisonous cassava following an extended period of hunger in Kumi District. The victims of the poisonous immature tuber took to vomiting and losing consciousness a few minutes after eating it.
According to Ms Rose Akurut, the mother of the deceased who is still fighting for dear life in Atutur Hospital, because of the food shortage, she was forced to uproot the immature tubers which they dried and later grinded to form flour which they cooked as bread. “After eating, we all started vomiting and having terrible headaches and my son lost consciousness before we were rushed to hospital where he later died,” she said.
The dead child was a pupil of Otipe Primary School, Kumi Municipality and the surviving family members who are still battling for their lives include Rose Akurut, 35 who is the mother of the other victims, Veronica Amuge, Sicola Ajulong.
Sister Sophie Akurut, the medical worker who attended to the victims said that the victims suffered dehydration which was caused by excessive vomiting due to the poison from immature cassava.
Cassava tubes, the world’s third largest source of low cost carbohydrates, contain a fatal dose of toxin called “linamarin” which converts to cyanide poison when eaten young or raw. Aside from death, this poison also causes brain damage.