Epidemiological study of the claimed zinc phosphide intoxication in Kom Ombo district April 1996.
BACKGROUND
In April 1996, in Aswan Governorate, Egypt, an outbreak of vomiting without diarrhea, abdominal and leg pain was reported.


METHODS
A case-control study was conducted to determine the cause of the outbreak. 25 cases who had vomiting without diarrhea, abdominal and leg pain. Controls were randomly chosen from adjacent houses to cases and another village.


RESULTS
No occupational exposure was associated with the disease, 84% of cases lived in households where chemical rodenticide had been used for rat infestations compared to 22% of controls. Laboratory analysis and field investigation identified zinc phosphide intoxication as the probable cause of this outbreak.
Kamal
A el-A
Ael-A
Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt.
Abd el-Hamid
D M
DM
Hatch
D L
DL
Ahmed
A el-N
Ael-N
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010720:Phosphines / Q000506:poisoning*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012378:Rodenticides / Q000506:poisoning*; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000506:poisoning*
D010720:Phosphines; D012378:Rodenticides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C009701:zinc phosphide