Ergotism is possible, but unlikely, as no deaths have been reported (and we'd be seeing other strange symptoms too).
Archive Number 20100212.0490
Published Date 12-FEV-2010
Subject PRO / EDR> food intoxication - Sudan (North Kordofan)
Food Poisoning - SUDAN (Kordofan NORTH)
************************************************** ****
A message / Una mensaje / of ProMED-mail <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail and a program of / es un programa de la International Society
for
Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thursday / Friday, February 12 / Febrero 2010
From: ProMED-PORT <Promed-Port@promedmail.org>
Source: AOL [11/02/2010]
Wheat is damaged more than a hundred people laugh without stopping in Sudan
Over one hundred people started laughing so hysterically in Sudan after
have consumed contaminated wheat in the province of North Kordofan (West),
announced today the Secretary of Health of the region, Abdel Hamid Mansur.
Mansur said that 104 people were nauseous and began to laugh non-stop
after eating wheat damaged by poor storage conditions.
According to the secretary, who said that those infected are well, wheat
reached coming from neighboring Kordofan Darfur.
After the incident, local authorities have formed a research committee
to see how the seeds arrived in the region. Moreover, seized large
quantities of wheat that was sold in markets in the region.
Comment:
[Strange, ergotism is a form of poisoning cereals, but not me
remember if this would be one of the manifestations. Ergotism determines seizures
and gangrene of the extremities by vasoconstriction.
During the Middle Ages in Europe there are records of similar events,
as the "dancing disease" in people affected qe danced - Taranto,
taken as a manifestation of mass hysteria - ljs]
Archive Number 20100212.0490
Published Date 12-FEV-2010
Subject PRO / EDR> food intoxication - Sudan (North Kordofan)
Food Poisoning - SUDAN (Kordofan NORTH)
************************************************** ****
A message / Una mensaje / of ProMED-mail <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail and a program of / es un programa de la International Society
for
Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thursday / Friday, February 12 / Febrero 2010
From: ProMED-PORT <Promed-Port@promedmail.org>
Source: AOL [11/02/2010]
Wheat is damaged more than a hundred people laugh without stopping in Sudan
Over one hundred people started laughing so hysterically in Sudan after
have consumed contaminated wheat in the province of North Kordofan (West),
announced today the Secretary of Health of the region, Abdel Hamid Mansur.
Mansur said that 104 people were nauseous and began to laugh non-stop
after eating wheat damaged by poor storage conditions.
According to the secretary, who said that those infected are well, wheat
reached coming from neighboring Kordofan Darfur.
After the incident, local authorities have formed a research committee
to see how the seeds arrived in the region. Moreover, seized large
quantities of wheat that was sold in markets in the region.
Comment:
[Strange, ergotism is a form of poisoning cereals, but not me
remember if this would be one of the manifestations. Ergotism determines seizures
and gangrene of the extremities by vasoconstriction.
During the Middle Ages in Europe there are records of similar events,
as the "dancing disease" in people affected qe danced - Taranto,
taken as a manifestation of mass hysteria - ljs]
Comment