Disease outbreaks caused by chemicals
There are many examples of disease outbreaks that are caused by exposure to chemicals or toxins.
Tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate is a contaminant of medicines, food and drink. It is a neurotoxin that has caused a number of outbreaks of neurological illness including the so-called ‘Jamaican ginger paralysis’.
In 2001, a series of unexpected deaths in dialysis patients in six countries was eventually shown to be caused by the contamination of the dialysis machine filters with perfluoroisobutylene.
Investigating the cause of a disease outbreak requires careful epidemiological and toxicological investigation. In some cases it may take many years of research before the etiological agent and its mechanism of toxicity are identified.