High rates of paraquat-induced suicide in southern Trinidad

The suicide rate in Trinidad and Tobago is much greater than that of its English-speaking Caribbean neighbors. Many of these suicides are paraquat induced. This research reviewed the deaths due to suicide in the area with the greatest agricultural activity in Trinidad for 1996 and identified, for further demographic and etiological investigation, cases in which paraquat was ingested as the agent of suicide. Of 48 cases of suicide for the year, 39 (81.3 percent) were due to paraquat poisoning. The incidence of paraquat-induced suicide was 8.0 per 100,000. Among the males, 47.8 percent were in the age group 25-34 (p< 0.001), and among the females 50.0 percent were in the 15-4 age group (p < 0.05). Family-of-origin disputes were the most frequently cited precipitant, folllowed by marital problems. Individuals of East Indian origin accounted for 89 percent of the suicide victims (p < 0.001). When compared with suicide by other methods in the country, these findings confirm that paraquat poisoning is a significant means of suicide in Trinidad and that young East Indian individuals are particularly vulnerable.(AU)

A study of the use and impact of pesticides in Saint Lucia

The use of chemical for pest vector control has lead to the reduction in the incidence of several communicable diseases and improvement in food quality and production. Nevertheless, the toxic properties of these pesticides present a separate threat to human health and the health of the environment. The potential for occupational exposure is of particular concern in the Caribbean where agriculture and vector control programs employ more than 40 percent of the labour force. Within Saint Lucia alone, 1,500,000 kilograms of pesticides (insecticides, fungicides and herbicides) were imported in 1990. A multi-phasic project was developed to assess and reduce the incidence of acute pesticide poisoning and the prevalence of chronic pesticide poisoning in Saint Lucia and in Trinidad and Tobago. Collaborators in this intersectoral undertaking include the Ministries of Agriculture/Health in Saint Lucia and in Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI), and Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC). This paper will summarize the results of the first phase of the project: a survey of the knowledge, attitudes, practices and beliefs (KAPB) of vector control officers in Saint Lucia and members of the Saint Lucia Banana Growers Association (SLBGA)(AU)

Monosodium acid methanearsonate (M.S.M.A.) poisoning in man

A case of self-poisoning by the weed-killer monosodium acid methanearsonate is reported. Complications observed included gastritis, deafness, myocarditis, hepatitis, nephritis, peripheral neuropathy and eosinophilia. Transverse white bands (Aldrich Mee's lines) appeared on the finger nails eight weeks later, and severe bilateral sensorineural deafness, an hitherto undescribed complication, was still present after one year. There is need for an increased awareness of the toxic effects of this arsenical used locally (AU)

Nail damage in spray operators exposed to paraquat

Nail damage in 55 persons due to contamination by diluted paraquat in a group of 296 spray operators employed on a sugar estate in Trinidad is described. The commonest lesion seen was transverse white bands of discoloration, but loss of nail surface, transverse ridging, gross deformity of the nail plate, and loss of nails occurred. The index, middle, and ring fingers of the right hand were predominantly affected and this could be ascribed to leakage from the knapsack sprayer. It is emphasized that, although the degree of contamination was unusually gross, it is nonetheless important to recognize that diluted material can cause nail damage. Simple hygienic precautions and proper maintenance of spraying equipment can prevent its occurence. Periodic medical examinations are recommended even for workers exposed only to diluted paraquat. The distribution of the nail lesions confirms that they are the result of a local action. Following cessation of further exposure subsequent nail growth is normal. (AU)