title: The association of oil ingestion with toxic oil syndrome in two convents.
abstract: The authors studied the pattern of occurrence of toxic oil syndrome, a previously undescribed disease that occurred in Spain in epidemic form in 1981, in two convents in Madrid. In one convent, the disease affected 66% of 35 novices and nuns who ingested oil from a suspect source, but none of 56 laywomen who ate the same meals but used a different type of oil. In the second convent, in which nuns were also exposed but laywomen were not, 98% of 43 nuns developed toxic oil syndrome compared with none of 70 laywomen. These findings support the hypothesis that a food oil transmitted the etiologic agent of toxic oil syndrome.
mesh_terms: D001937:Brassica; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000506:poisoning*; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil