POISONING, FATAL, FERMENTED DRINK - COLOMBIA: (GUAVIARE) GLYPHOSATE
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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: Sun 15 Jan 2012
Source: Caracol Radio [in Spanish, trans. Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ, edited]
<http://www.caracol.com.co/noticias/...n-calamar-guaviare/20120115/nota/1606808.aspx>
A mass poisoning among indigenous Cubeos [ethnic group of the
Colombian Amazon] after drinking "chicha" [a homemade fermented drink]
has so far left one person dead and 10 more in critical condition.
The incident occurred in the village of La Reforma, located 4 hours
from the urban center of the municipality of Calamar, Guaviare
Department [southern central region of Colombia].
According to information provided by the local mayor, Giovany Garces,
the indigenous settlement captain reported that apparently the
situation resulted from drinking chicha prepared with bananas that had
been sprayed while controlling illicit crops and that the Cubeos did
not want to waste.
Aggravating the situation are the lack of communication and armed
clashes in the area as well as the fact that there is no health center
nearby. The fastest access route is the river Unilla and only a few
minutes ago [Sun 15 Jan 2012] the mayor of Calamar coordinated for a
doctor and an assistant to be transferred by boat to the settlement in
order to provide first aid and bring the poisoned persons to the
municipal hospital. The procedure is expected to take at least 8
hours.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[According to an article from Diario La Nacion
(<http://www.lanacion.com.ve/noticias.php?IdArticulo=197541> (in
Spanish) dated 16 Jan 2012, on 11 Jan 2011 national police aircraft
responsible for the eradication of illicit crops sprayed glyphosate on
coca plantations near the Cubeo settlement, also contaminating their
food crops, including the bananas used to prepare the beverage.
Glyphosate is generally regarded as one of the safe herbicides.
However, dose always makes the poison. Glyphosate is supplied in
several formulations for different uses: ammonium salt, isopropyl
amine salt, glyphosate acid - standalone, as ammonium salt or as
isopropyl salt, and potassium salt. Glyphosate has been used by the
United States, in coordination with other countries, in aerial
spraying of drug related crops, especially coca.
Ingestion of this herbicide demonstrates that greater than 85 mL being
ingested produces an illness and sometimes death. It is difficult to
believe that these individuals ingested 85 mL or more of the chemical
from this banana drink. Even in a fermented drink a high level of the
chemical should have given a most unpleasant taste and throat
irritation.
Inebriation may have played some role, but the 1st few mouthfuls of
the drink should have stopped anybody.
Hopefully medical care will reach the affected individuals and
treatment will be a success. - Mod.TG
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Colombia can be seen at
<http://healthmap.org/r/1EJ9>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
..................................................sb/tg/mj/sh
*******************************************************************
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: Sun 15 Jan 2012
Source: Caracol Radio [in Spanish, trans. Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ, edited]
<http://www.caracol.com.co/noticias/...n-calamar-guaviare/20120115/nota/1606808.aspx>
A mass poisoning among indigenous Cubeos [ethnic group of the
Colombian Amazon] after drinking "chicha" [a homemade fermented drink]
has so far left one person dead and 10 more in critical condition.
The incident occurred in the village of La Reforma, located 4 hours
from the urban center of the municipality of Calamar, Guaviare
Department [southern central region of Colombia].
According to information provided by the local mayor, Giovany Garces,
the indigenous settlement captain reported that apparently the
situation resulted from drinking chicha prepared with bananas that had
been sprayed while controlling illicit crops and that the Cubeos did
not want to waste.
Aggravating the situation are the lack of communication and armed
clashes in the area as well as the fact that there is no health center
nearby. The fastest access route is the river Unilla and only a few
minutes ago [Sun 15 Jan 2012] the mayor of Calamar coordinated for a
doctor and an assistant to be transferred by boat to the settlement in
order to provide first aid and bring the poisoned persons to the
municipal hospital. The procedure is expected to take at least 8
hours.
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>
[According to an article from Diario La Nacion
(<http://www.lanacion.com.ve/noticias.php?IdArticulo=197541> (in
Spanish) dated 16 Jan 2012, on 11 Jan 2011 national police aircraft
responsible for the eradication of illicit crops sprayed glyphosate on
coca plantations near the Cubeo settlement, also contaminating their
food crops, including the bananas used to prepare the beverage.
Glyphosate is generally regarded as one of the safe herbicides.
However, dose always makes the poison. Glyphosate is supplied in
several formulations for different uses: ammonium salt, isopropyl
amine salt, glyphosate acid - standalone, as ammonium salt or as
isopropyl salt, and potassium salt. Glyphosate has been used by the
United States, in coordination with other countries, in aerial
spraying of drug related crops, especially coca.
Ingestion of this herbicide demonstrates that greater than 85 mL being
ingested produces an illness and sometimes death. It is difficult to
believe that these individuals ingested 85 mL or more of the chemical
from this banana drink. Even in a fermented drink a high level of the
chemical should have given a most unpleasant taste and throat
irritation.
Inebriation may have played some role, but the 1st few mouthfuls of
the drink should have stopped anybody.
Hopefully medical care will reach the affected individuals and
treatment will be a success. - Mod.TG
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Colombia can be seen at
<http://healthmap.org/r/1EJ9>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
..................................................sb/tg/mj/sh