More people are reported suffering from
stiffness of the limbs, respiratory problems and miscarriages, caused by a
peculiar and unidentified skin ulceration that has plagued the central province
of Quang Ngai since April, said medical authorities from the province.
According
to statistics of the Son Ha District Medical Centre on April 11, the numbers of
people suffering from the bizarre skin disease have increased to 50, most of
them being residents of Son Ba and Son Ky Communes.
Since
March 8 to date, three inhabitants of Son Ky Commune have succumbed to the
disease and 13 others are suffering from eye disease and respiratory problems.
Medical
experts suspect the victims are suffering from poisoning from chemical
herbicides, as they were affected soon after spraying the chemical in cassava
fields.
The
provincial health authorities have yet to determine the cause of deaths, but
believe use of high contents of chemical herbicides have polluted the water
sources in the commune.
Residents
in these communes use an American brand herbicide named Kanup 480 SL, imported
by the Viet Thang Company in the northern province of Bac Giang. The chemical
was offered for sale on the company’s catalog on November 5, 2011.
Samples
of water, soil from cassava fields and herbicide packages have been collected for testing. Preventive
medicine centres in the province have warned people not to use the present
water source but find an alternative source. Farmers must eat meals before
spraying on fields and drink sugar water when experiencing symptoms and visit a
medical centre immediately.
SGGP
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