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Prevention and Control of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
Published in James H. S. Gear, CRC Handbook of Viral and Rickettsial Hemorrhagic Fevers, 2019
The methods to be utilized clearly must be determined by the species and habits of the rodents concerned, seasonal fluctuations in population density, and the interrelationship between the animal and the virus. For example, the arenaviruses tend to be excreted especially into the urine and this continues for life. The reservoir host of Lassa fever, Mastomys coucha (formerly known as M. natalensis3), almost invariably urinates when frightened.4 Any control measure which frightens the animal, such as trapping, therefore has the potential to promote rather than discourage virus transmission. Rodenticides may be preferred, taking due cognizance of patterns of behavior, such as feeding, breeding, and nesting habits, as well as home range and reproductive capacity of the locally prevailing species. Wild rodents which tend to shun human habitation are, because of their wide dispersion, less amenable to control than domestic or semidomestic species which are associated with the human habitat. However, greater care needs to be taken with the choice of rodenticide in order to avoid harm to children, dogs, poultry, and livestock. Zinc phosphide, a reliable acute poison, has been widely used. Fumigation with hydrocyanic acid in powder form or with carbon monoxide is especially useful for burrowing rodents, but the potential dangers require it to be practiced by trained and experienced personnel.5
Rodenticides
Published in Frank A. Barile, Barile’s Clinical Toxicology, 2019
Phosphine gas is generated when solid rodenticides, such as zinc or aluminum phosphides, contact oxidizing agents or weak acids. The liberation and inhalation of the gas imparts a characteristic “fish odor” breath, especially when the powder mixes with stomach acid. Exposure produces signs and symptoms similar to those of pulmonary irritants and toxic products of combustion (see Chapter 25). Inhalation of phosphine vapors and fumes induces upper and lower respiratory tract injury (URT and LRT, respectively). Upper airway and ophthalmic injury is distinguished by local inflammation and irritation of ocular, oral, and nasal mucous membranes, including conjunctivitis, lacrimation, rhinitis, and pharyngitis. LRT symptoms include cough, wheezing, and tightness of chest with painful breathing. Early symptoms include nausea, fatigue, tremors, dizziness, and hypotension, followed by pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, central nervous system depression, convulsions, and coma.
Pesticides and Chronic Diseases
Published in William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel, Reversibility of Chronic Disease and Hypersensitivity, Volume 4, 2017
William J. Rea, Kalpana D. Patel
Inhaled phosphine gas (PH3, a grain fumigant) and ingested metal phosphides cause pulmonary edema, CNS depression, toxic myocarditis, and circulatory collapse. Victims who survive these immediate reactions suffer liver injury (fatty degeneration and necrosis) and acute renal tubular necrosis. Unlike its analog arsine, phosphine is not hemolytic. Enzymatic mechanisms of toxicity are not known. Ingested metal phosphide (from which phosphine is generated) causes intense GI irritation followed by degenerative and necrotizing lesions of the liver, kidney, and heart. Death is often due either to cariogenic shock or pulmonary edema.
Refractory cardiogenic shock caused by zinc phosphide toxicity
Published in Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 2023
Nitish Mittal, Mohamed Elmassry, Mostafa Abohelwa
Metal phosphides, such as zinc phosphide and aluminum phosphide, are among the most potent rodenticides. Zinc phosphide is used by farmers worldwide. Upon ingestion, zinc phosphide reacts with stomach acid to form phosphine gas, a lethal compound that gets absorbed into the bloodstream quickly.1 The phosphine mainly targets cells in the heart, liver, and lungs and stops the cells from producing energy, leading to their death. The phosphine gas inhibits the oxidative phosphorylation within the cells of the heart, leading to myocardial stunning. Death usually occurs from cardiac arrhythmias and refractory cardiogenic shock. Zinc phosphide poisoning is a growing concern worldwide, especially in Asian communities. A retrospective study in Tehran, Iran, reported 102 patients with zinc phosphide poisoning admitted at a single referral center over the course of 3 years.2 Moreover, metal phosphide poisoning is a prevalent form of suicide in rural areas of Northern India.3 Previous reports have highlighted the radio-opaque nature of the substance along with cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal imaging.2 Here, we present a 20-year-old man with refractory cardiogenic shock due to zinc phosphide ingestion.
Impact of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation on outcome of aluminium phosphide poisoning complicated with myocardial dysfunction
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2019
Bishav Mohan, Vivek Gupta, Sarju Ralhan, Dinesh Gupta, Sandeep Puri, Rajesh Mahajan, Abhishek Goyal, Shibba Chhabra, Rohit Tandon, Naved Aslam, Gurpreet Singh Wander, Bhupinder Singh
The baseline characteristics (Table 1) between the two study groups were similar except for the baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; %) which was significantly lower in the ECMO group ((median: 24; IQR: 22–28 vs. median: 30; IQR: 26.5–32; p < .0001). Male gender dominated both study groups. The SOFA score was found to be high in both the ECMO and conventional groups (median: 10; IQR: 9–12 vs. median: 11; IQR: 10–12; p = .480). The average ingested dose of aluminium phosphide was also high in both groups. The hospitalisation time was significantly longer in the ECMO group (median: 12 days; IQR: 3–22) compared with that in the conventional group (median: 1 day; IQR: 1–1.0). Supplementary Table 1 shows the demographic and clinical profile of patients in low-risk group of aluminium phosphide poisoning.
Trends of acute drug and chemical toxicities in adults and adolescents in Tehran, Iran between 2012 and 2018: a retrospective chart review
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Seyed Kaveh Hadeiy, Parinaz Parhizgar, Hossein Hassanian-Moghaddam, Nasim Zamani, Ali Khoshkar, Ali-Asghar Kolahi, Alireza Amirabadizadeh, Omidvar Rezaei
Since 2000, pesticide use has increased in Iran due to the increasing need for agricultural products. Pesticides may be deliberately used to attempt suicide or accidentally ingested due to contaminated water. Aluminum and zinc phosphide are among potent phosphide pesticides used mainly for fumigation of rice and other crops in Iran. Due to easy access, low price, and potential mortality of aluminum phosphide, it is a relatively common method of suicide in our country (Hashemi-Domeneh et al.2016). In the recent years, there had been restrictions to chemical trades, and it seems this policy has been effective in reducing pesticide poisonings and deaths.