Yusho Disease

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Yushō disease (油症?) (literally oil disease) was a mass poisoning by PCBs which occurred in northern Kyūshū, Japan in 1968.[1][2] In January 1968, rice bran oil produced by Kanemi Company in Kyushu started to become contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The contaminated rice bran oil was then sold to poultry farmers for use as a feed supplement and to consumers for use in cooking.[3] In February to March 1968, farmers started reporting that their poultry were dying due to apparent difficulty in breathing; altogether 400,000 birds died.[3] About 14000 people who had consumed the contaminated rice oil were affected in Japan.[3] Common symptoms included dermal and ocular lesions, irregular menstrual cycles and a lowered immune response.[2][1][4] Other symptoms included fatigue, headache, cough, and unusual skin sores.[5] Additionally, in children, there were reports of poor cognitive development.[1][4][5]

A similar case occurred in Taiwan in 1979 where the condition there was known as Yu-Cheng disease. Similar symptoms and effects of the PCBs and PCDFs were shown, especially in children.[4]

There have been studies undertaken on animals to understand the mechanisms of PCBs and PCDFs and their effects.[1] Scientists discovered that low levels of PCB's could kill fish and other wildlife and as such their use in manufacturing was reduced.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo...[Environ Res. 2001] - PubMed Result
  2. ^ a b Disease ID 8326 at NIH's Office of Rare Diseases
  3. ^ a b c Contamination of rice bran oil with PCB used as the heating medium by leakage through penetration holes at the heating coil tube in deodorization chamber. Japan Science and Technology Agency. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  4. ^ a b c PCB Baby Studies Part 2
  5. ^ a b c Environmental Diseases from A to Z
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