Cypermethrin exposure caused mass fainting of 300 students in Antique — initial DOH report
- An initial DOH toxicology report identified cypermethrin, a pesticide, as the cause of the mass fainting of around 300 students in Antique province last July 2
- Sibalom Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña stated that airborne pesticide drift, worsened by weather conditions, led to environmental contamination within the school premises
- Symptoms experienced by students, such as difficulty breathing, chest pains, vomiting, and chills, were consistent with acute exposure to pyrethroid pesticides
- The Sibalom LGU emphasized that the toxicology report is not yet final, pending results of additional environmental samples for laboratory analysis
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An initial toxicology report from the Department of Health (DOH) revealed that cypermethrin, a type of pesticide, was responsible for the mass fainting of around 300 students in Antique province last month.
Source: UGC
“There was sufficient evidence of environmental contamination by cypermethrin within the school premises, most likely due to airborne pesticide drift compounded by weather conditions,” said Sibalom Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña in a statement.
Occeña, citing a report from the DOH Toxicology Specialty Center at the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital in Iloilo, added, “This indicated airborne dispersal of the substance.”
The incident happened on July 2, when students from Pis-anan Central Elementary School and Pis-anan National High School were rushed to hospitals after allegedly inhaling toxic fumes. Many victims described the foul odor as resembling rotten guava.
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The toxicology report indicated that the symptoms experienced by the students — difficulty breathing, extreme chest pains, vomiting, and chills — “are all consistent with acute exposure to pyrethroid pesticides.”
Additionally, the report found that two students had elevated levels of urinary formic acid, suggesting “possible exposure to methanol, a known solvent in certain pesticide and fogging formulations.”
The local government unit (LGU) of Sibalom, however, cautioned the public that the toxicology report is not yet final.
“We are still awaiting the results of other environmental samples submitted for laboratory analysis, which are necessary to establish correlation with the toxicological results already obtained,” Occeña said.
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Source: KAMI.com.gh
