Iraq: Thallium Poisoning
18 February 2008
18 February 2008 - On 21 January, in Baghdad, 2 families comprising a total of 13 people became ill after consuming cake given as a gift to board members of the Iraqi aviation club.
On 27 January the WHO Representative of Iraq was notified that the Poison Laboratory in Baghdad had detected thallium in specimens taken from patients and the cake that had been consumed by the two families. Patients were transferred to Amman, Jordan for hospital care.
On 30 January 2008 a formal request was made by the Iraq Ministry of Health to WHO for assistance in procuring Prussian blue to treat the patients, and toxicological analyses to monitor the treatment. Since Prussian blue was not available in the region WHO immediately arranged for its supply from the UK and Germany.
On 8 February, WHO sent blood, urine and cake specimens to a laboratory in the United Kingdom to confirm and measure the concentration of Thallium, the results confirmed the initial tests from the Baghdad Poison Laboratory.
WHO is grateful to UK Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency, Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division, for their assistance in supplying Prussian blue and making available analytical facilities.
So far, 3 deaths caused by the poisoning have been reported and 10 patients are still undergoing treatment in Amman.
Thallium is an odorless, tasteless powder that is a systemic poison that can produce multiple organ toxicity. Acute poisoning with thallium salts may lead to gastrointestinal stasis, while intermediate and late effects may include disturbances of the peripheral and central nervous systems, the cardiorespiratory system, eyes and skin. Scalp and facial hair loss is a typical sign of thallium poisoning. In 1973, WHO recommended that thallium sulfate use as a rodenticide be discontinued because of its toxicity.