Many articles about toxicology update, like:
- 3 studies on Melamine Urolithiasis in NEJM;
- Methanol's sequelae;
- Chinese slimming capsules; 
- CDC report about Adult Blood Lead;  
- Severe hepatotoxicity by Herbalife;
- Severe hepatitis associated with St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum);
- Mechanisms underpinning the teratogenic effects of thalidomide;
- New WHO Manual;
- Konzo disease in Cameroon;
- Traffic pollution & baby birth weight;
- Formaldehy & Some Blood Cancers;  
- Diet of poisonous snakes affects its venom strength; 
- Florida Polo Horse Deaths & sodium selenite; 
- Furadan To Kill Lyons (Kenia) II; An so more. Indeed, a very heavy number. Until next nuumber. JCP

Ver Imagen Philip Wexler, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, USA. Aprol 22, 2009. I am writing to inform you of some recent developments. WLT, IUTOX and TOXIPEDIA.
As you know, it has been several years since the National Library of Medicine (NLM) began to collect relevant toxicological links from across the world.  Dozens of country pages already contain extensive information and links, but all countries have room to expand. To that end, NLM recently decided that the WLT, its CCs, and its users would best be served if it were migrated to a site outside of the NLM better equipped to handle the expansion, maintenance and promotion of this unique resource. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that the WLT, with financial support from the NLM and in partnership with the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX), will now be managed by the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders (INND). The WLT will be hosted on the INND's acclaimed interactive wiki-website Toxipedia, but will also be accessible via its own URL (www.wltox.org).

1. Melamine-Contaminated Powdered Formula and Urolithiasis in Young Children. N. Guan and Others
   http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/360/11/1067 Full text available
   The recent epidemic of melamine-contaminated formula in China has been associated with urinary tract stones. The authors of this study screened 589 consecutively enrolled children; 421 had received formula contaminated by melamine. In all, 50 had urinary stones, 112 were suspected to have stones, and 427 did not have stones. Affected children lacked typical signs and symptoms of urolithiasis. Exposure to melamine-contaminated formula and prematurity were associated with the presence of stones.
2. Melamine and Nephrolithiasis in Children in Taiwan
   http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/360/11/1157
3. Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Melamine-Exposed Children in Hong Kong
   http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/360/11/1156

Ver Imagen Methanol poisoning damage is likely permanent. Reuters Health, April 2, 2009. Damage from methanol poisoning appears to be "irreversible," according to a follow-up report on several people exposed to the poison in September 2001. [ See ]

Taking herbal food supplements is certainly not free of risk. (from Eurekalert, April 08, 2009) Since 2005, the poison emergency centers in the German cities of Freiburg and Göttingen have registered a total of 17 patients with health problems after taking Chinese slimming capsules. The pharmacologist Dieter Müller and his coauthors describe the documented cases of poisoning in the current edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106(13): 218-22).  See full PDF: Chinese Slimming Capsules Containing Sibutramine Sold Over the Internet .

Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance – United States, 2005-2007. CDC, US. April17, 2009. Work-related lead exposure remains a national occupational health problem, the research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) points to the need to strengthen prevention efforts by industry, government, labor, and a dedicated effort to strengthen the public awareness. Despite general reductions in prevalence rates of elevated blood lead levels in adults in the U.S, overexposure to inorganic lead continues to be an important problem among workers, according to new surveillance data reported by NIOSH. The trend underscores concern from recent research about the toxicity of lead even at low doses. The persistence of elevated blood-lead levels primarily due to workplace exposures, and a slight increase in 2006 and 2007 rates over the 2005 rate after declines since 1994, point to the need for stronger efforts by industry, labor, government, and others to reduce occupational exposures in sectors such as battery manufacturing, mining of lead and zinc ores, and painting and paper-hanging, and education of the public to prevent non-occupational exposures from recreational, home improvement, and food sources.Full text.

Severe hepatotoxicity following ingestion of Herbalife nutritional supplements contaminated with Bacillus subtilis.F. Stickel, S. Droz, E. Patsenker, K. Bögli-Stuber, B. Aebi, S. Leib. Journal of Hepatology, Volume 50, Issue 1, Pages 111-117. Full Text PDF. Abstract. See also: Are herbals as safe as their advocates believe? Journal of Hepatology, Volume 50, Issue 1, Pages 13-16. L. Seeff & Spanish reports of hepatotoxicity associated with Herbalife® products. Journal of Hepatology, Volume 49, Issue 2, Pages 289-290.G. Manso, L. López-Rivas, J. Duque, E. Salgueiro.

Severe drug induced acute hepatitis associated with use of St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) during treatment with pegylated interferon {alpha}P Piccolo, S Gentile, F Alegiani and M Angelico.BMJ Case Reports 2009 [doi:10.1136/bcr.08.2008.0761] April 14, 2009. Abstract.

Thalidomide induces limb defects by preventing angiogenic outgrowth during early limb formation. Christina Therapontos, Lynda Erskine, Erin R. Gardner, William D. Figg, and Neil Vargessona. www.pnas.org. PDF full text. Abstract. Thalidomide is a potent teratogen that induces a range of birth defects, most commonly of the developing limbs. The mechanisms underpinning the teratogenic effects of thalidomide are unclear. Here we demonstrate that loss of immature blood vessels is the primary cause of thalidomide-induced teratogenesis and provide an explanation for its action at the cell biological level. Antiangiogenic but not antiinflammatory metabolites/analogues of thalidomide induce chick limb defects. Both in vitro and in vivo, outgrowth and remodeling of more mature blood vessels is blocked temporarily, whereas newly formed, rapidly developing, angiogenic vessels are lost. Such vessel loss occurs upstream of changes in limb morphogenesis and gene expression and, depending on the timing of drug application, results in either embryonic death or developmental defects. These results explain both the timing and relative tissue specificity of thalidomide embryopathy and have significant implications for its use as a therapeutic agent.

Ver Imagen The Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents. Publication date: 2009. Language: English. Number of pages: 101. The purpose of the WHO Manual for the Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents is to provide a comprehensive overview of the principles and roles of public health in the management of chemical incidents and emergencies. While this information is provided for each phase of the emergency cycle, including prevention, planning and preparedness, detection and alert, response and recovery, it is recognized that the management of chemical incidents and emergencies requires a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach and that the health sector may play an influencing, complementary or a leadership role at various stages of the management process. The target audience includes public health and environmental professionals, as well as any other person involved in the management of chemical incidents. See Full PDF

Pollution link with birth weight. bbcnews. April 8, 2009.Exposure to traffic pollution could affect the development of babies in the womb, US researchers have warned.They found the higher a mother's level of exposure in early and late pregnancy, the more likely it was that the baby would not grow properly.The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, looked at 336,000 babies born in New Jersey between 1999 and 2003. [ See ]

Skin manifestations of cocaine use. Robert I. Rudolph. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. February 2009 (Vol. 60, Issue 2, Pages 346-347). Full text in  PDF

Cocaine abuse: Dermatologic manifestations and therapeutic approaches. Jerry D. Brewer, Alexander Meves, J. Michael Bostwick, Kirsten Lyn Hamacher, Mark R. Pittelkow .Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. September 2008 (Vol. 59, Issue 3, Pages 483-487). Abstract.

Formaldehyde May Cause Some Blood Cancers, but Risk Drops over Time (NCI Cancer Bulletin for May 19, 2009). Follow-up data from an ongoing study of U.S. industrial plant workers exposed to formaldehyde support previous findings of a possible link between formaldehyde exposure and risk of death from cancers of the blood and lymphatic system. The latest report by NCI researchers, which appeared online May 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, includes data through 2004, extending the previous observation period by 10 years. See full text in: http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/051909/page3#e
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Snake diet find aids anti-venom. bbcnews. April 9, 2009.New research by a Bangor university student has found that the diet of poisonous snakes affects its venom strength.Axel Barlow's discovery means that anti-venom can be developed specific to a certain snake's location or diet.His studies into saw-scaled vipers, which have evolved to eat scorpions, found that they also had venom which was more lethal to scorpions. [ See ]

Biodyl, Franck's Pharmacy, and Florida Polo Horse Deaths: Guaranteed It's the Decimal.scienceblogs.com.  April 24, 2009, by Abel Pharmboy. Last weekend, 21 Venezuelan polo horses collapsed and died at the US Open championship match at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida (AP, CNN). The deaths have now been associated with injection of a veterinary mineral supplement produced by a compounding pharmacy in Ocala, Florida. Located in central Florida about 45 min south of the University of Florida, Ocala is well-known for its density of equestrian farms and training centers.[ See ] Read also related notices: Selenium Overdose Caused Deaths of Polo Horses & Polo needs drug testing for horses, Humane Society says (CNN)

Kenyans Race to Get Furadan Banned. globalvoices. June 18, 2009. By Samuel Maina.Kenyan conservationists are making gains in their push to have Furadan, a carbofuran-based pesticide that has so far caused the death of 76 lions, banned in the country.The Member of Parliament (MP) for Naivasha Constituency, Honourable John Mututho, has now joined the call for a total ban on this lethal poison by taking the appeal to parliament. On Tuesday, 2 June 2009, the Baraza blog reports scanned some pieces from the news, and reports that  Hon. Mututho asked the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife for the ban amid overwhelming support from other parliamentarians. [ See ]. See previous noticie: Furadan To Kill Lyons (Kenia)

Ver Imagen Study finds homicidal poisoning rising, more likely in infants and elderly. uga.edu/news. May 7, 2009. Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the rise—and infants are the most common victims—according to a new University of Georgia study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime. Greene Shepherd, clinical professor in the UGA College of Pharmacy, and recent graduate Brian Ferslew examined seven years of recent federal mortality data and identified 523 deaths due to homicidal poisoning—a figure that corresponds to a rate of 0.26 poisonings per million people. The study found that although poisonings account for less than one percent of all homicides, they appear to be on the rise. The study documented a low of 0.20 cases per million in 2000 and a high of 0.35 in 2004. In 2005, the last year for which data is available, the rate was 0.3 per million people.[ See ]

Clinical Question: How safe are the newer atypical antipsychotic drugs? (March 06, 2009)
Bottom Line:
Both typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. The absolute risk of sudden cardiac death in patients taking these drugs is 1.8 per 100 persons taking the drugs for 10 years, which is approximately twice as high as for patients in the general population. Newer drugs are not safer than older drugs with respect to cardiovascular outcomes, and thioridazine, clozapine, and risperidone in high doses appear to be slightly more risky. (See; http://www.essentialevidenceplus.com/levels.html)

Reference: Ray WA, Chung CP, Murray KT, Hall K, Stein CM. Atypical antipsychotic drugs and the risk of sudden cardiac death. N Engl J Med 2009;360(3):225-235.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=19144938dopt=Abstract> 

Ver Imagen Current awareness of Clinical Toxicology, has been published monthly since 1997 and gives a selected list of references relevant to clinical toxicology.  It is edited by Sarah Cage and Allister Vale and is produced by the National Poisons Information Service (Birmingham Unit). See March 2009 PDF.  See previous related notice.

Botulism Assay Quickly Detects Potent Foodborne Toxin. ARS-USDA, May 4, 2009. Though cases of botulism food poisoning aren't common in the United States today, they're nonetheless of concern to food safety researchers. That's why Agricultural Research Service (ARS) biologist Larry H. Stanker and colleagues at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., developed a new, improved test for detecting what's known as "serotype A" of the toxin. [ See ]

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Lindell K. Weaver. Volume 360:1217-1225  March 19, 2009 - Number 12- This Journal feature begins with a case vignette highlighting a common clinical problem. Evidence supporting various strategies is then presented, followed by a review of formal guidelines, when they exist. The article ends with the author's clinical recommendations. Full text article.

Two Food Additives Have Previously Unrecognized Estrogen-like Effects. ScienceDaily March 5, 2009. Scientists in Italy are reporting development and successful use of a fast new method to identify food additives that act as so-called "xenoestrogens" — substances with estrogen-like effects that are stirring international health concerns.They used the method in a large-scale screening of additives that discovered two additives with previously unrecognized xenoestrogen effects. [ See ]

Ver Imagen Prof. Alfredo Rovere recommended us:  Antivenom for Critically Ill Children with Neurotoxicity from Scorpion Stings.Boyer LV et al. N Engl J Med 2009;360:2090-8.PDF full text. (View a video of a child with oculomotor abnormalities after a scorpion sting.) Conclusions: Among critically ill children with neurotoxic effects of scorpion envenomation, intravenous administration of scorpion-specific F(ab')2 antivenom resolved the clinical syndrome within 4 hours, reduced the need for concomitant sedation with midazolam, and reduced the levels of circulating unbound venom.

EPA Changes Method For Evaluating Toxic Chemicals. By Jesse Greenspan.New York (March 25, 2009) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a strategic plan Wednesday that would purportedly allow it to better assess risks from chemicals by adopting new toxicity testing methods that use recent advances in molecular biology, genomics and computational sciences. Read more.

[ Ir Arriba ]

Amorphophallus: These are typical lowland plants, growing in the tropical and subtropical zones of the paleotropics, from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. None of them are found in the Americas although a remarkably similar but not closely related genus, Dracontium, has evolved there. Most species are endemic. They grow preferably on disturbed grounds, such as secondary forests. [ Wikipedia ]. See recent news in Spanish.

The National Library of Medicine Division of Specialized Information Services has released an Enviro-Health Links page on Swine Flu. Aprol 28, 2009. This page contains links to resources about the 2009 Swine Flu outbreak, including transmission, prevention, treatment, and the genetic makeup of the influenza virus. http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/swineflu.
See also Swine Flu - MedlinePlus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/swineflu.html Information for the general public, patients, family members and caregivers. From MedlinePlus.

Ver Imagen Fluoxetine (Prozac) was no better than a placebo in relieving depressive symptoms and decreasing drug use in acute treatment of depressed adolescents with concomitant substance use disorder.Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2009, 3:11. See full text.

Ver Imagen A Broken Trust: Lessons from the Vaccine–Autism Wars.May 27, 2009. Researchers long ago rejected the theory that vaccines cause autism, yet many parents don't believe them. Can scientists bridge the gap between evidence and doubt? [Gross L (2009) A Broken Trust: Lessons from the Vaccine–Autism Wars. PLoS Biol 7(5) ]. See full text

Acute Exposure Guidelines for Selected Airborne Chemicals, Volume 7.(2009)
Authors: Committee on Acute Exposure Guideline Levels, Committee on Toxicology, National Research Council. Description:This book is the seventh volume in the series Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals, and includes AEGLs for acetone cyanohydrin, carbon disulfide, monochloroacetic acid, and phenol. At the request of the Department of Defense, the National Research Council has reviewed the relevant scientific literature compiled by an expert panel and established Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs) for 12 new chemicals. AEGLs represent exposure levels below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur and are useful in responding to emergencies such as accidental or intentional chemical releases in the community, the workplace, transportation, the military, and for the remediation of contaminated sites.Three AEGLs are approved for each chemical, representing exposure levels that result in: 1) notable but reversible discomfort; 2) long-lasting health effects; and 3) life-threatening health impacts. Read on line.

Ver Imagen The Fire Dogs of Climate Change - An inspirational call to action. August 2009. This climate action book contains stories, fact sheets and examples from around the world - of political action, sustainable living and technology - to inspire your heart, mind and hands to take action.  It is suitable for adults and youth.To download of a free e-copy of the book, click on http://www.box.net/shared/static/abddkxjx49.pdf

Ver Imagen Are chemicals killing us?. S. Robert Lichter, May 21, 2009. A groundbreaking study conducted by STATS, The Center for Health and Risk Communication at George Mason University, and the Society of Toxicology shows how experts view the risks of common chemicals - and that the media are overstating risk. If you believe what you see and hear in the media, Americans are being poisoned every day by the very chemicals we routinely use to improve our lives. Nora Ephron has told readers of the Huffington Post that she “loved” Teflon but had to throw out all her pans after hearing that the coating “probably causes cancer and birth defects.” The Environmental Working Group has repeatedly warned Americans that “millions of babies” are at risk from the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles. Last week Chicago became the first city to ban the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups, on the grounds that BPA has been associated with everything from cancer to obesity. See.

Global Campaign Launched to Raise Awareness of Carbon Monoxide-Related Risks for Firefighters.emsresponder. July 23, 2009. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Masimo jointly announced the launch of a new international health and safety initiative aimed at educating fire fighters about the duty-related dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and reducing known risk factors that unnecessarily kill and injure hundreds of fire fighters each year. [ See ]

A Methodology and Application for Tunisia. Susmita Dasgupta, Craig Meisner, David Wheeler. The World Bank, Development Research Group -Environment and Energy Team - April 2009.  “……Obsolete pesticides have accumulated in almost every developing country or economy in transition over the past several decades. Public health and environmental authorities are eager to reduce health threats by removing and decontaminating stockpile sites, but there are many sites, cleanup can be costly, and public resources are scarce. Under these conditions, it seems sensible to develop a methodology for prioritizing sites and treating them sequentially, as budgetary resources permit.  This paper presents a methodology that develops cleanup priority indices for Tunisia. The approach integrates information on populations at risk, their proximity to stockpiles, and the relative toxic hazards of the stockpiles. The robustness of this approach is tested by varying model parameters widely and testing for stability in the rank-ordering of results….” Full text PDF.

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Poison Takes Toll On Africa's Lions. cbsnews.March 29, 2009. Kenyan Cattle Herders Are Using The American Pesticide Furadan To Kill The Predators. We all grew up learning that the lion is the king of the jungle. And now that we're not little any more, we know just how vulnerable they are. In fact, when exposed to man's devices, lions are extremely fragile. [ See ]. Watch video in same page.