Mozambique funeral beer poisoning
bongkrekic acid, toxoflavin. | |
First reporter | Radio Mozambique |
---|---|
Deaths | 75 |
Non-fatal injuries | More than 230[2] |
On 9 January 2015, 75 people died and 230 were made ill after drinking contaminated
Early speculation on the source of the illness by Mozambique officials blamed crocodile
Poisoning
Radio Mozambique reported that 69 people had died from the villages of Chitima and Songo, both in
The first reported dead on the following day included the drink stand owner, two of her relatives, and four neighbors. Paula Bernardo, director of Health, Women, and Social Action in the Cahora Bassa region, said that area hospitals were flooded with people suffering from cramps and diarrhea and that more people had died.[6] As of 12 January, 169 people remained hospitalized, but that number dropped to 35 on 13 January.[7] President Armando Guebuza announced three days of national mourning.[8]
Investigation
Early reports suggested the beer had been poisoned with "crocodile bile", known and sold by local practitioners as "nduru".
In the Forbes article, David Kroll surmises that while crocodile bile is reputed by local villagers to be highly toxic, this is almost certainly false. Crocodile bile resembles mammalian bile which is universally found in the digestive tract of all higher animals. Mice experimentally fed extracts of the bile did not die, and local crocodile farms dried and sold the bile for export to the Far East for use in traditional Chinese medicine.[6] Kroll cites Norman Z. Nyazema, a researcher into traditional practices and culture of Africa, who suggested that organophosphate pesticides may instead be to blame, though the cause of the deaths would remain mysterious at least until forensic testing was complete.
Samples of the beer, blood, and suspicious objects found within the drum were sent for analysis to the National Laboratory in
See also
- Food security in Mozambique
- 2015 Mumbai alcohol poisoning incident
References
- ^ "Where is Chitima in Tete, Mozambique Located?". GoMapper. n.d. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ^ (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "At least 69 die after drinking contaminated beer at Mozambique funeral". The Guardian. Associated Press. 12 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- The Huffington Post. Associated Press. Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ allafrica.com. 4 November 2015. Archivedfrom the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d Kroll, David (12 January 2015). "Did Crocodile Bile In Beer Really Kill 75 People In Mozambique?". Forbes. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ^ Death Toll Rises to 72 From Contaminated Beer in Mozambique, MAPUTO, Mozambique, 13 January 2015, By EMMANUEL CAMILLO Associated Press Archived 20 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Bad Beer Kills At Least 69 People, Hospitalizes 169 in Mozambique". NBC News. Reuters. 12 January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- PMID 6478501.
- PMID 4042148.