title: Palm island reconsidered. Was it copper poisoning?
abstract: The clinical features of the 'Palm Island mystery disease' cannot be explained on the basis of toxocariasis, nor do they correlate with the known manifestations of algal toxicity. A detailed review of acute and chronic copper poisoning in humans and laboratory animals supports this as a possible explanation for the epidemic. The mechanisms involved in copper intoxication are discussed briefly, and a scenario is proposed to explain the occurrence and pathogenesis of the outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, St Lucia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prociv
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000506:poisoning*; D056890:Eukaryota; D006801:Humans; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D003300:Copper