Poisoning epidemiology

Spolyar, L.W., and R.N.Harger. 1950. Arsine poisoning Epidemiological studies of outbreak following exposure to gases from metallic dross. Arch. Ind. Hyg. 1 419- 436. 

Noguchi T and Ebesu JSM (2001) Puffer poisoning Epidemiology and treatment. Journal of Toxicology Toxin Reviews 20 1-10. 

Morris JG, Lewin P, Smith CW, Blake PA, Schneider R. Ciguatera fish poisoning epidemiology of the disease on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Am J Trap MedHyg 31 574—578, 1982. 

Acute poisoning of humans by freshwater cyanobacteria as occurs with paralytic shellfish poisoning, while reported, has never been confirmed. Humans are probably just as susceptible as pets, livestock, or wildlife but people naturally avoid contact with heavy waterblooms of cyanobacteria. In addition, there are no known vectors, like shellfish, to concentrate toxins from cyanobacteria into the human food chain. Susceptibility of humans to cyanobacteria toxins is supported mostly by indirect evidence. In many of these cases, however, if a more thorough epidemiological study had been possible these cases probably would have shown direct evidence for toxicity. 

Assessment of whether a chemical has the potential to cause adverse effects in humans arises usually from direct observation of an effect in animals or humans, such as the acute poisoning episodes that have occurred when potatoes contain high levels of glycoalkaloids. Epidemiological studies have also been used to infer a possible relationship between intake of a particular type of food, or constituent of that food, and the potential to cause an adverse effect. Such observations led to the characterisation of the aflatoxins as human carcinogens. However, natural toxic substances that occur in plant foods have often been identified through observations in animals, particularly farm animals. It was observations of adverse effects in farm animals that led to the further characterisation of the phytoestrogens and the mycotoxins. In other instances, the concern arises from the chemical similarity to other known toxins. 

When analyzing the data from Table 6.2, one must keep in mind that as of the beginning of the 1970s, data collection on chemical poisoning statistics was transferred from Minzdrav s general Health and Epidemiological Service to an independent Third Main Directorate in the same Ministry - a secret division linked to defense work in the nuclear and chemical industries. 

Landrigan, P.J., R.J.Castello, and W.T.Stringer. 1982. Occupational exposure to arsine. An epidemiologic reappraisal of current standards. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health. 8 169-177. Legge, T.M. 1916. Arsenic poisoning. In Diseases of Occupations and Vocational Hygiene, G.M.Kober and W.Hanson, eds. Philadelphia, PA Blakiston. 

Greenwood MR (1985) Methylmercury poisoning in Iraq - an epidemiological-study of the 1971-1972 outbreak. J Appl Toxicol 5 148-159... 

Overmann, S.R. and J.J. Krajicek. 1995. Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) as biomonitors of lead contamination of the Big River in Missouri s old lead belt. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 14 689-695. Osweiler, G.D. and G.A. Van Gelder. 1978. Epidemiology of lead poisoning in animals. Pages 143-177 in F.W. Oehme (ed.). Toxicity of Heavy Metals in the Environment. Part 1. Marcel Dekker, NY. 

Selby, L.A., A.A. Case, G.D. Osweiler, and H.M. Hages, Jr. 1977. Epidemiology and toxicology of arsenic poisoning in domestic animals. Environ. Health Perspec. 19 183-189. 

With the development of chemical industry the moment has come to equip the laboratories of the sanitary and epidemiological services with modem instrumentarium and methods, capable quickly to establish small (insignificant) quantities of the different groups of poisoning material in the air, the water and the food products. 

Boisier, P., et al.. Fatal mass poisoning in Madagascar following ingestion of a shark (Carcharhinus leucas) clinical and epidemiological aspects and isolation of toxins, Toxicon, 33, 10, 1359, 1995. 

Fleming, L.E., et al.. The epidemiology of seafood poisoning, in Hui and Stanfield, eds.. Seafood and Environmental Toxins, Humana Press, Totowa, 2001. 

Morris, P.D., et al.. Clinical and epidemiological features of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in North Carolina, Am. J. Public Health, 81, 4, 471, 1991. 

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