Plant poisoning outbreak in the western area of Cambodia, 2005.
An outbreak investigation was conducted during February-March 2005 to determine the cause of several sudden deaths occurring in Pailin Province, Cambodia. Sixty-seven patients presented with non-febrile poisoning-like symptoms and 15 died of coma, including 53% children under 10 years old. Symptoms included sore throat (92%), sore lips (73%), swollen tongue (54%) and gastrointestinal signs (41%). A plant locally called prik was the source of poisoning (97.0 vs. 28.7%, odds ratio 74.3, P<0.001). Patients may have confused the edible Melientha suavis Pierre with Urobotrya siamensis Hiepko, both from the Opiliaceae family. This was the first report of Urobotrya poisoning and its clinical manifestations.
Tourdjman
M
M
Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. mathieu.tourdjman@free.fr
Srihawong
R
R
Soy
T Khean
TK
Touch
S
S
Hul
S
S
Janssens
B
B
Galliot-Guilley
M
M
Vong
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003128:Coma / Q000209:etiology; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult