China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions - Chongqing - rat poison blamed

[Tonka]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-04/12/content_16394784.htm

Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions...more from the source

 

[Nika]

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions

CHONGQING - More than 100 children from a kindergarten in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality have been hospitalized after unexplained petechiae were found on their lower limbs, local health authorities said Thursday.

petechiae = "A petechia (pron.: /pɨˈtiːkiə/; plural petechiae /pɨˈtiːkɪ.iː/) is a small (1-2mm) red or purple spot on the body, caused by a minor hemorrhage (broken capillary blood vessels).

"Petechiae" refers to one of the three major classes of purpuric skin conditions. Purpuric eruptions are classified by size into three broad categories. Petechiae is generally used to refer to the smallest of the three classes of purpuric skin eruptions, those that measure less than 3 mm." SOURCE

sample image (NOT FROM THIS OUTBREAK)

 

[Nika]

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions

If you follow the wiki link you will see that there can be a broad range of reasons for this. Being China and a large number of kids - i would guess toxic environmental conditions or viral.

My daughter used to get these under her eyes after being sick and vomiting violently (we called them barf speckles).

Obviously that is a benign and common example.

 

[Emily]

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rat-poison-blamed-for-rare-disease-in-over-100-chinese-kids-113041200438_1.html

Press Trust of India | Beijing April 12, 2013 Last Updated at 19:10 IST
Rat poison blamed for rare disease in over 100 Chinese kids
[snip]
Health authorities have organised a group of experts to establish a treatment program, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The effects of the treatment have been apparent, and the students' symptoms are expected to clear up within a week, said the official.

Police and health authorities are probing the source of the poisoning...

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions - rat poison blammed

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions - rat poison blammed

I wonder if it is the same kinds as found here:

Rat Poison Canisters Washing Up on Kodiak


By The Associated PressChannel 2 News
6:13 a.m. AKDT, April 11, 2013



KODIAK, Alaska?

Residents are being warned after containers that had contained rat poison washed up on a Kodiak beach.

The Kodiak Daily Mirrorsays people are being told not to pick up the aluminum canisters because they could contain residual amounts of aluminum phosphide.

The toxin is used to kill rats and bugs. However, people can experience headaches, nausea, dizziness and difficulty breathing when exposed to even small amounts of the chemical, which is typically used to fumigate grain ships.

From spring 2008 to late 2012, Washington saw more than 100 of the toxic canisters wash up.

The containers have also been found along Oregon's coastline and on Vancouver Island.

.

 

[alert]

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions - Chongqing - rat poison blamed

I doubt it. If hemorrhagic rash is reported, a far more likely candidate would be something like warfarin, which is used around the world as a rat poison, and acts as an anticoagulant, causing hemorrhage in the case of poisoning.

 

[Emily]

Re: China: Over 100 kids hospitalized over unexplained lesions - Chongqing - rat poison blamed

I didn't know those were washing up here, too, AD. That's awful and might explain some of those marine mammal UME's, though who knows what else is being dumped at sea by irresponsible shippers. I saw this about canisters washing up in Australia recently:

Canisters full of aluminium phosphide (phosgene gas danger) wash up on north Queensland beach

Here is some info on the symptoms of exposure:
http://www.darujps.com/content/20/1/25

What happened at the school sounds more like wafarin to me, but maybe there were other symptoms not mentioned.