Nantou County, Taiwan 4 deaths - botulism or intentional poisoning?

[Ronan Kelly]

Strange die-Nantou County, Taiwan 5 suspected toxic algae in drinking water due to
Source: China Network at 09:33 on July 10th, 2011

July 10, according to Taiwan's "News Today" reported that the Lutheran Nantou County, Taiwan Township within three days after another five people died suddenly appear dead, and all nerve poisoning, but the real cause of death is still unknown. However, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, director of clinical toxicology Linjie Liang said, if not caused by brucine, the proposed problem can be traced toward the water because the water there are two kinds of blue-green algae, if not sterile may be fatal.

Lin, Nantou County, one pair of 5 couples hire a couple to help harvest vegetables, the night the two couples together in the forest eating and drinking at home, but 6 am but have vomiting, convulsions, cramps, breathing difficulties and other symptoms, was sent to the Medical emergency reported all four died. Unexpectedly, 7 have a history of 27-year-old man surnamed night dinner with his family, drink, but suddenly in the early morning vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms, was taken to hospital for emergency Chushan show pass, but beyond resurrection.

Xinyi Township for five consecutive for the people killed in mysterious die-off, Linjie Liang said that according to the dead Sizhuang, eating herbs Strychnos highest probability, so long as the blood test can be learned. But he also pointed out that the mountain spring water storage tank, easy to breed algae toxin microcystin and variability, if not filtered, disinfected, even if cooked will cause neurological toxicity, liver toxicity, so it may be a critical lethal factor.

Prosecutor Huang Jianming contractor stationed in two villages Wednesday afternoon, and three CDC in conjunction with professional medical personnel, the prevalence of malignant or infectious disease investigation. Nantou District Prosecutors Office said he hoped the investigation from the epidemic with the anatomy, as soon as possible to clarify the cause of death, so that local people feel at ease. Source China News)
(Editor: Newshoo)

http://roll.sohu.com/20110710/n312948488.shtml

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - suspected toxic algae in drinking water

Toxic algae, or poisonous herbs?

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/nantou/2011/07/09/309244/Mans-death.htm

Updated Saturday, July 9, 2011 11:36 pm TWN, The China Post news staff
Man's death raises fears of poisoning in Nantou
A man was found dead on his bed in Nantou yesterday, with symptoms similar to those of two couples possibly killed by eating poisonous herbs Wednesday, leaving local prosecutors in a state of high alert.
The man complained of suffering from a high fever, an upset stomach and cold sweats before dawn and was found unconscious when his wife tried to wake him up early yesterday. He was pronounced dead before reaching the hospital.

Doctor Huang Bo-Cheng judged the cause of death as neurotoxicity because the man's eyes were dilated, along with other symptoms also found in two couples who died after ingesting wild poisonous herbs. Huang said while cellulitis (蜂窩性組織炎) can also be a possible cause, the possibility of him dying of poisoning was ?extremely high.?

The man lived in the same township with the two couples, but he did not know them. His wife told the police that he just chewed betel nut, drank wheat tea and wine, and didn't eat anything special the night before his death.

The fifth possible death from food poisoning in the land-locked county has put local authorities on high alert. Yesterday they decided to conduct autopsies of all five bodies to confirm the causes of death as soon as possible.

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - suspected toxic algae in drinking water

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/07/10/2003507875

Forensics expert investigates root of village deaths
NOT IN THE FOOD:At first investigators thought two couples had ingested poison in their meal, but they found no presence of poison in the food or drink
By Rich Chang / Staff Reporter

The nation?s top forensics expert has conducted autopsies after five people died mysteriously within the past three days in Aboriginal villages in Nantou County.

The autopsy results will be made public tomorrow at the earliest, the expert said.

Pan Chih-hsin (潘志信), a forensics expert from the Ministry of Justice?s Institute of Forensic Medicine, went to Nantou County with four aides on Friday afternoon to conduct autopsies on two couples who died on Wednesday and a man who died on Friday morning. The autopsies were completed at about midnight, with Pan taking most of the bodies? organs to a lab for further examination.

Lin Ching-yi (林敬儀), 55, his wife and another couple living in an Aboriginal village in Sinyi Township (信義), Nantou County, died on Wednesday after they dined -together at Lin?s home.

Investigators said the four all had looks of pain on their faces and myosis.

Investigators suspected they had ingested neurotoxins with the food they ate or in the alcohol they drank during the meal. However, after investigators examined the food and drink, they found no presence of poisons and they concluded that they could not identify the material that caused their deaths.

Meanwhile, another man, surnamed Shih (史), 27, who lived in a village about 10km from Sinyi Township, also died from suspected neurotoxin poisoning on Friday morning.

Shih?s wife told investigators she chewed betel nut and drank tea and alcohol with her husband on Thursday evening, adding that her husband acted normal before his sudden death the next morning.

Investigators said residents in the villages had panicked after the incidents. Home-made alcohol, pigsties and well water were suspected sources of the unknown poisons that led to the deaths. Investigators said they had asked local police to visit households in the area and called on residents to avoid drinking or eating anything suspicious.

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - unidentified neurotoxin suspected

If the first four deaths all had dinner together the night before their deaths, there is a good chance there was some kind of toxic exposure at the dinner.

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201107110039

'Strange deaths' in Nantou unrelated to infectious diseases: DOH
2011/07/11 23:06:50
Taipei, July 11 (CNA) The Department of Health (DOH) said Monday that five "strange deaths" in Hsinyi Township in Nantou County were unrelated to any infectious diseases and asked people there not to worry about contracting a fatal disease.

Vegetable farmer Lin Ching-yi and his wife Wang Mei-yung and their helpers Tien Fu-jung and Wu Hsiao-chen, also a couple, died on the morning of July 6. The four had dinner together the previous evening at Lin's house.

The four deaths sparked panic in the community because no reason was given for the cause of the deaths. Another villager, Shih Ta-hai, subsequently died of suspected poisoning in a nearby mountainous community.

A DOH official said the deaths of the Lins and the Tiens were still being investigated, though doctors suspected the sudden deaths may have been caused by neurotoxins.

Shih Wen-yi, deputy director general of the Centers for Disease Control under the DOH, said experts have assumed botulinus and clostridium telani to be a possible cause of the four's deaths, but the latter had been excluded.

Tests on the possible role of botulinum will be completed by July 16, according to the DOH.

A day earlier, the agency announced preliminary lab results, which excluded the possibility of the four deaths having been caused by such toxins as nux (semen strychni), organophosphate, methomyl, tetramine, methyl alcohol or cyanide.

Some family members have suspected murder, as the dishes were cleaned, leaving no evidence to be examined. But investigators said the hosts might have done the dishes that night, because they were not found dead until the next morning.

As for the fifth death, the CDC's Shih said Shih Ta-hai might simply had died from an isolated ailment because he did not dine with four others or have any contact with them.

The CDC official urged the public not to panic, as the series of strange deaths did not pose a public health risk and would not lead to the spread of infectious diseases.

Nantou District chief prosecutor Chu Kun-mao said that while the actual cause of the deaths remained a mystery, the investigators would still try to rely on lab findings to gain a scientific understanding of the case. (By Lin Heng-li, Chen Ching-fang and S.C. Chang) enditem/ls

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - unidentified neurotoxin suspected

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/nantou/2011/07/12/309523/CDC-marks.htm

Updated Tuesday, July 12, 2011 11:13 pm TWN, The China Post news staff
CDC marks little progress in probe of fatal toxic infection
The China Post news staff--While the toxic bacteria behind the deaths of five people in Hsinyi Township in Nantou County remains unknown, possible bacterial sources may be contained in the home of a couple who died, the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
Shi Wen-yi, deputy director of the CDC said at a press conference that neurotoxin was the most likely cause leading to the deaths of two couples, surnamed Lin and Tian, while the fifth fatality, surnamed Shih, may have another cause.

The blood samples taken from the five victims were tested by the Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to determine the nature of the toxin, and other physical samples were subjected to microbiology testing by the CDC.

Initial findings showed that such bacteria as clostridium botulinum, clostridium tetanus, and vibrio cholera were excluded from being the toxic bacteria leading to the five mysterious deaths in Hsinyi Township.

Shi said that the CDC has yet to ask for assistance from the U.S. or Japan in finding the cause of the five deaths, but will not rule out the possibility of doing so if necessary.

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Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - unidentified neurotoxin suspected

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/taichung/2011/07/14/309777/Woman-turns.htm

Woman turns herself in after poisoning in-laws in Taichung
A woman has been arrested for allegedly poisoning her husband's elderly parents to vent her anger over their strained relations, police in Taichung said yesterday.
The woman, surnamed Chen, told police that she spiked her in-laws' food with a chemical she had brought back from a factory, thinking that it would only cause diarrhea, police said. Chen Li-hsiung, 72 and his wife, Chen-Tsai Ah-hsia, 68, from Lungchen district in the central city, were almost killed in a case that came in the wake of some mysterious fatal poisoning cases in the nearby county of Nantou.

Police were trying to establish whether there were links between the Taichung and Nantou cases when the 39-year-old suspect, accompanied by her husband, turned herself in to police yesterday.

The elderly victims were rushed to hospital on July 9 after the poisoning. Doctors managed to save the couple, who were discharged from hospital the next day.

The suspect said she has not gotten along with her in-laws over the past 16 years after marrying her husband.

She said she was in a bad mood that day and added the chemical to the victims' bamboo shoot soup. She claimed she had never intended to kill them, according to the police.

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - unidentified neurotoxin suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:4099931094274594::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,89319

Archive Number 20110713.2123
Published Date 13-JUL-2011
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths - Taiwan: (NT), neurotoxin susp, RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS - TAIWAN: (NANTOU), NEUROTOXIN SUSPECTED, REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** **********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Tue 12 Jul 2011
Source: The China Post [edited]
<http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/nantou/2011/07/12/309523/CDC-marks.htm>


CDC marks little progress in probe of fatal toxic infection
-----------------------------------------------------------
While the toxic bacteria behind the deaths of 5 people in Hsinyi
Township in Nantou County [Taiwan province] remains unknown, possible
bacterial sources may be contained in the home of a couple who died,
the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said
yesterday [11 Jul 2011].

Shi Wen-yi, deputy director of the CDC said at a press conference
that neurotoxin was the most likely cause leading to the deaths of 2
couples, while the 5th fatality, may have another cause.

The blood samples taken from the 5 victims were tested by the
Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to
determine the nature of the toxin, and other physical samples were
subjected to microbiology testing by the CDC.

Initial findings showed that such bacteria as _Clostridium
botulinum_, _Clostridium tetani_, and _Vibrio cholerae_ were excluded
from being the toxic bacteria leading to the 5 mysterious deaths in
Hsinyi Township.

Shi said that the CDC has yet to ask for assistance from the US or
Japan in finding the cause of the 5 deaths, but will not rule out the
possibility of doing so if necessary.

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[So the questions are: which neurotoxin, where did it come from, and
how was it administered or how did the victims come into contact with
it?

There is not enough information regarding these deaths and the
investigation to form a hypothesis or scenario of what happened and
what agent may be responsible. More information on this cluster from
knowledgeable sources would be greatly appreciated. - Mod.TG]

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - unidentified neurotoxin suspected

Bacteria may have caused fatalities in Nantou: CDC

The China Post news staff--The Center for Disease Control (CDC) under the Cabinet-level Department of Health has found toxic bacteria likely to have caused the deaths of four people in Hsinyi Township in Nantou County, central Taiwan, according to CDC sources.

Early yesterday morning, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC sent specialists to the residence where four people (two couples) died after having a dinner together eight days ago to collect ?environmental samples,? including what they ate and used as well as surrounding articles, such as preserved vegetables, stewed garlic, hot peppers, canned food, water, and empty bottles of pesticide, etc. The collection was completed at 8:00 a.m. yesterday.

Regarding the latest move, Chu Kuen-mao from Nantou District Prosecutors Office said that it will take six days to complete cultivation of the bacteria based on the samples collected yesterday, and that the real cause behind the mysterious deaths of the four will become clear if any of the bacteria cultivated is discovered to be identical to the toxic bacteria found in the victims blood by the CDC.

Chu said that chances were quite slim that the four were poisoned to death intentionally, judging from the toxic bacteria found. But the prosecutor office hasn't ruled out the possibility for the moment.

Just two days earlier, Shih Wen-yi, deputy director of the CDC told a press conference that a neurotoxin was the most likely cause of the deaths of the two couples, surnamed Lin and Tian, while the fifth fatality, surnamed Shih, may have died of another cause.

Shih said that the blood samples taken from the five victims were tested by the Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to determine the nature of the toxin, and other physical samples were subjected to microbiology testing by the CDC.

Initial findings showed that bacteria such as clostridium botulinum, clostridium tetanus, and vibrio cholera were excluded from being the toxic bacteria leading to the five mysterious deaths in Hsinyi Township.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2011/07/14/309767/Bacteria-may.htm

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Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - unidentified neurotoxin suspected

I understand these are not medical articles, but it is odd that none of the articles are mentioning the species of bacteria detected in the patients' blood.

http://0fj.blogspot.com/2011/07/nantou-four-murder-left-exposed-to.html

2011年7月13日 星期三Nantou four murder left exposed to experience the dawn of the families of toxins causes pain farewell ceremony Rengshi Mi
Nantou Lutheran five deaths mystery has been a week, family members were at home in today's funeral for the dead with a farewell ceremony. Families in which Lin Jing instrument re-request the relevant units as soon as possible to identify the cause of death, so that they can feel calm. The CDC also said the Department of Health, has grown from four people to find a body specimens in the same toxins, environmental specimens collected yesterday bacteria culture, is expected after six days is expected to uncover the truth. ... Nantou four murder left exposed to experience the dawn of the families of toxins causes pain farewell ceremony Rengshi Mi

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - 4 deaths confirmed due to botulism, fifth death due to septicemia

Case solved.

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201107210024

Multiple deaths in Nantou may be linked to botulism: prosecutors
2011/07/21 18:42:38





Nantou, July 21 (CNA) Four of the five people who died suddenly between July 6 and 8 in Nantou County may have been killed by botulism toxins, a senior prosecutor in the county said Thursday.

In the initial forensics tests, traces of botulism toxins were found in four of the bodies but it was not certain whether the toxins were from eating homemade vegetable preserves, said Chu Kun-mao, chief of the Nantou District Prosecutors Office.

It will require further microbiology tests by Department of Health agencies to confirm the results, he said.

The Institute of Forensics Medicine will deliver the final report on the cause of death, after the results of the microbiology tests become available July 26, the prosecutor said.

On July 6, four residents of Hsinyi Township in Nantou died suddenly. It was found that the four people -- vegetable farmer Lin Ching-yi, his wife Wang Mei-yung and their two helpers Tien Fu-jung and Wu Hsiao-chen -- had shared a meal earlier in the day.

Two days later, another Hsinyi resident Shih Tai-hai died suddenly from what was initially thought to be food poisoning, but that was later ruled out.

Amid fears of an epidemic in the township, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that Shih had died of septicemia caused by inflammation of the pancreas and and cellulitis, according to prosecutors.

The families of the five people at first suspected murder, but have since accepted the findings of the experts, prosecutors said.

According to the CDC, botulism toxins are produced by a type of bacteria that thrives in anaerobic environments.

Ingestion of the toxins in improperly prepared food is dangerous and may be fatal. One precaution is to heat packaged and homemade food products at temperatures of at least 100 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the CDC said. (By Lin Heng-li and C.J. Lin)/ Enditem/ pc

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - 4 deaths confirmed due to botulism, fifth death due to septicemia

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:3506632303089172::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,89484

Archive Number 20110725.2238
Published Date 25-JUL-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Botulism - Taiwan: (NT) homemade preserves susp.

BOTULISM - TAIWAN: (NANTOU) HOMEMADE PRESERVES SUSPECTED
************************************************** ******
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Fri 22 Jul 2011
Source: The China Post [edited]
<http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/nantou/2011/07/22/310649/Deaths-in.htm>


A senior prosecutor in [Nantou County] said Thu 21 Jul 2011, 4 of the
5 people who died suddenly between 6 and 8 Jul 2011 in the county may
have been killed by botulism toxin. In the initial forensics tests,
traces of botulism toxin were found in 4 of the bodies, but it was not
certain whether the toxins were from eating homemade vegetable
preserves, said Chu Kun-mao, chief of the Nantou District Prosecutors
Office.

It will require further microbiology tests by Department of Health
agencies to confirm the results, he said. The Institute of Forensic
Medicine will deliver the final report on the causes of death after
the results of the microbiology tests become available 26 Jul 2011,
the prosecutor said.

On 6 Jul 2011, 4 residents of Hsinyi Township in Nantou died
suddenly. It was found that the people, a vegetable farmer, his wife,
and their 2 helpers, had shared a meal earlier in the day. 2 days
later, another Hsinyi resident died suddenly from what was initially
thought to be food poisoning, but that was later ruled out.

Amid fears of an epidemic in the township, the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) reported that the latest victim had died of septicemia
caused by inflammation of the pancreas and cellulitis, according to
prosecutors. The families of people at first suspected murder, but
have since accepted the findings of the experts, prosecutors said.

--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[There is no description of the clinical illnesses here. Botulism is
a symmetrical flaccid paralysis, which usually begins with visual
disturbances related to extraocular muscle weakness beginning 18-36
hours after ingestion of the food vehicle. - Mod.LL]

[ProMED seems to have missed the fact that this is the same incident as the previous articles in this thread. - alert]

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 5 deaths - 4 deaths confirmed due to botulism, fifth death due to septicemia

Very confusing. The date in this article is almost certainly wrong, as we have posts above from before July 15.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:4428830073231918::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,90002

Archive Number 20110827.2624
Published Date 27-AUG-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths - Taiwan (03): (NT), intentional poisoning, RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS - TAIWAN (03): NANTOU, INTENTIONAL POISONING,
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** **************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: 23 Aug 2011
Source: Taipei Times [edited]
<http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/08/23/2003511452>


Man detained on suspicion of killing 4 with poison
--------------------------------------------------
Last Supper: The suspect in the 4 murders was reportedly the jilted
lover of a woman who, with her husband and another couple, drank
poison wine. Police in Nantou County yesterday [22 Aug 2011] detained
a man suspected of killing 4 people by adding 2-chloroethanol to their
rice wine. Nantou County judges yesterday (22 Aug 2011) ordered the
detention of a man suspected of murdering 2 couples in an Aboriginal
village with poison.

Lin Ching-yi, 55, his wife Wang Mei-yung, 48, and another couple
living in an Aboriginal village in Sinyi Township, Nantou County, died
after dining together at Lin's home on 15 Jul 2011.

Announcing they had solved the case, investigators said the 4 victims
had a look of pain on their faces and had myosis, a condition where
the pupil constricts abnormally, usually following the consumption of
drugs. Investigators said they suspected the victims had ingested
neurotoxins contained in the food or wine.

Investigators said residents in the Aboriginal villages panicked after
the incident. For a while, homemade alcohol, pigsties and well water
were considered possible sources of the unknown poison. Local police
visited households in the area and told residents to avoid drinking or
eating anything suspicious.

Nantou prosecutors said they had a breakthrough after they found that
Wang had had a former boyfriend named Chu Ming-fu.

Prosecutors arrested Chu on Saturday. Prosecutors said Chu had
confessed to poisoning Wang and her husband. Prosecutors said Chu told
them he and Wang dated last year. However, after he moved to Pingtung
County for work, Wang married Lin in February. Chu allegedly told
investigators he resented it and decided to take revenge.

Chu told prosecutors that on 30 Jun 2011 he gave Wang 6 bottles of
rice wine, adding that he had poured 10 mililiters of 2-chloroethanol
in one bottle.

Prosecutors said that 2-chloroethanol was a highly toxic substance
that could cause death if even a very small amount was ingested.

Prosecutors said forensics experts discovered traces of
2-chloroethanol in the victims' bodies, but that initially they did
not believe the substance had caused their deaths.

[Byline: Rich Chang]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[2-chloroethanol is a colorless liquid that is miscible in both water
and alcohol. It has pleasant mild ether-like odor. It is possible that
either smell or taste would not have been noticed in the wine. The
irritation it produces in the eyes, and lungs may not have been enough
to cause concern in the individuals until it was too late.

2-chloroethanol is very toxic. It may be fatal when inhaled,
swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. It can be irritating to eyes,
skin and lungs, but the irritation is weak and is not strong enough to
warn of a potentially fatal exposure.

Exposure to 2-chloroethanol can cause damage to the central nervous
system, cardiovascular system. the kidneys and the liver. It
decomposes in fire to yield hydrogen chloride and phosgene, which are
irritating, toxic and potentially fatal. 2-chloroethanol reacts
violently with oxidants and is a fire and explosion hazard. It reacts
with water or steam to produce toxic and corrosive fumes. It reacts
with strong bases to produce ethylene oxide, which is both toxic and a
fire hazard.

Portions of this comment were extracted from:
<http://www.cbwinfo.com/Chemical/Precursors/p15.html> - Mod.TG]

[The story continues to be confusing. In the 1st report (see below),
a neurotoxin was suspected; in the 2nd report, botulism was suspected,
now both botulism and 2-chloroethanol are suspected. Clarification of
this event would be gratefully appreciated.

For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED map of Nantou Taiwan, see
<http://healthmap.org/r/1aZH>. - Mod.MPP]]

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 4 deaths - botulism or intentional poisoning?

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aSOC&ID=201108220031

Man's confession complicates mysterious Nantou deaths case
2011/08/22 21:44:02





Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) The investigation into the death of two couples in a small township in Nantou County was thrown into confusion Monday after the revelation by prosecutors that a man had come forward confessing that he poisoned them without their knowledge.

The fate of the suspect, now under detention by Nantou prosecutors, will hinge on further probing into the case.

On July 5, Lin Ching-yi and his wife, Wang Mei-yung, two farmers in Nantou's Hsinyi township, had dinner with another couple who worked as hired hands on their farm.

That night, they fell sick and went to the hospital. By the next day, all four were dead.

For more than one month, investigators and the media have cited botulism, the extremely toxic bacteria found in canned foods and cured meats, as the cause of the four deaths.

Initially ruled as a case of botulism by three separate government agencies, the case has become more complicated with the introduction of a jealous ex-boyfriend who, it turns out, tried to poison the couple with a gift of rice wine. The rice wine was consumed at the fatal dinner party.

The ex-boyfriend, Chu Ming-fu, is now in the custody of Nantou County prosecutors. He confessed that he was jealous when Wang Mei-yung, his ex-girlfriend, married Lin Ching-yi this February. So on June 30, he sent them a gift of six bottles of rice wine laced with 10 cc of 2-chloroethanol, one of the most toxic industrial solvents in the world.

Prosecutors seem ready to pursue a murder case. The Nantou District Prosecutors Office said recently that vomit from the four victims contained 2-chloroethanol, and cited their previous experience with poisoning cases as strong support that this is also murder by poisoning.

Their best evidence comes from one of the farm hand victims, Tien Fu-jung, who said he drank "some rice wine with strange odor" before he died.

But the three government agencies that ran forensics on the bodies -- Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- contend that the four victims did not die because of the poisoning.

All three authorities stand by their botulism conclusion.

An autopsy report conducted by the Institute of Forensic Medicine found that the samples of the vomits, blood, gall and stomach content of the victims did contain small traces of 2-chloroethanol, but due to its low concentration, the institute ruled out the chemical as the cause of death, and said the four died because they inadvertently ate food contaminated with botulism.

Both the CDC and the FDA concurred with this result based on their own tests.

Defending his agency's results, Shih Wen-yi, CDC's deputy director general, said,"The centers have repeatedly conducted tests. How could there be mistakes?"

If convicted of murder, Chu, the suspect, could face the death penalty.

However, most legal experts in Taiwan contend that the prosecution does not have enough evidence that Chu's poison caused the four victims to die. Instead, they suggest pursuing an "attempted murder"case, which does not carry the penalty of death

[alert]

Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 4 deaths - botulism or intentional poisoning?

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aSOC&ID=201108290051

More evidence in mysterious Nantou deaths but still no clarity
2011/08/29 22:44:15
Nantou, Aug. 29 (CNA) Tests on four people who died mysteriously in Nantou County early last month confirmed the presence of a highly toxic chemical, prosecutors said Monday, but they added that the cause of their deaths remained undetermined.

The prosecutors said 2-chloroethanol, one of the most toxic industrial solvents in the world, existed in all four victims' bodies based on tests run by the Council of Agriculture's Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute.

But prosecutors refused to disclose the specific amount of the poison in each person in order not to interfere in the ongoing investigation into the case.

They said they would ask toxicology experts to help conduct an overall analysis to determine whether the main cause of death was from 2-chloroethanol poisoning or botulism poisoning, which was identified initially by investigators as the cause of death.

Prosecutors have struggled to resolve the mysterious deaths since the four victims died in early July after falling ill over dinner.

The victims, Sinyi Township farmers Lin Ching-yi and his wife Wang Mei-yung, and another couple who worked as hired hands, were taken to the hospital after having dinner on their farm on July 5, but were found dead the following day.

Investigators cited botulism, the extremely toxic bacteria found in canned foods and preserved foods, as the possible cause of death for more than a month until a man came forward on Aug. 22 saying he murdered the victims by poisoning them.

The man, named Chu Ming-fu, an ex-boyfriend of Wang, confessed to police that he sent Wang six bottles of rice wine laced with 10 cc of 2-chloroethanol earlier in June out of jealousy that Wang had married Lin earlier in the year.

Prosecutors said Chu will face murder charges if any one of the four victims is determined to have died from the poison, since the amount of 2-chloroethanol found in each body varied. (By Lin Heng-li and Jamie Wang) ENDITEM/ls

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Re: Nantou County, Taiwan 4 deaths - botulism or intentional poisoning?

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/09/03/2003512355

Nantou couples were poisoned: experts
Staff Writer, with CNA

Four people who died in mysterious circumstances in Nantou County in July were most likely killed by a toxic chemical, not botulism as had been previously supposed, the Nantou County Prosecutors? Office said on Thursday.

The conclusion was reached at a meeting of toxicology experts on Wednesday, the office said in a statement.

Judging from the autopsy results and an analysis of an examination report submitted by the Council of Agriculture?s Agricultural Chemicals and Toxic Substances Research Institute, toxicology experts believe the four were poisoned by two chemicals ? 2-chloroethanol and chloroacetric acid ? the statement said.

Even though blood samples from one victim did contain botulism, it only confirmed the presence of the bacteria, not the cause of death, the experts said.

Clinical research has shown that poisoning by the two chemicals would take effect sooner than botulism poisoning and the experts said they believe the victims would have died before botulism occurred. In addition, they said, botulism poisoning is treatable.

On July 5, Lin Ching-yi (林敬儀) and his wife, Wang Mei-yung (王美永), farmers in Hsinyi Township (信義), had dinner with another They became sick later that night and went to the hospital. All four were dead by the next day.

Investigators cited botulism, caused by an extremely toxic bacteria often found in canned foods and preserved foods, as the possible cause of death until a man came forward on Aug. 22 to say he had sent poisoned wine to Wang.

Chu Ming-fu (朱明福), an ex-boyfriend of Wang (王), reportedly told police that he had sent Wang six bottles of rice wine in June that had been laced with 10cc of 2-chloroethanol because he was jealous that Wang had married Lin earlier in the year.

Prosecutors said on Thursday the amount of the toxic chemical that would have been needed to kill them would have been much more than the 10cc Chu claimed he had put in.

Chu could face murder charges now that experts have concluded the four victims had died from poisoning, law enforcement sources said.