Insecticide Poisoning among Farmers Planting Corn in a Farm in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, May 2015

Abstract

This report presents an investigation of insecticide poisoning among farmers who helped in planting corn in a farm in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, May 2015. The investigation included reviewing medical records of those farmers who received treatment in Mae Sot Hospital, case finding in the farm, identifying risk factors and causes of insecticide poisoning, environmental survey in the farm, and collecting suspected environmental specimens for laboratory identification. Of the 48 farmers who helped in planting corn, 42 (87.5%) had symptoms of poisoning. Eighteen patients were hill tribe and 24 were Myanmar. No patient died in the outbreak. The most common clinical feature was dizziness (83.3%) followed by nausea (69.0%), vomiting (52.4%), abdominal pain (31.0%), and diarrhea (21.4%). Most patients had onset of symptoms during 1-6 pm, 24 May 2015. The study found that farmers who contacted or planted the corn seeds had a significantly higher attack rate (7 times), compared to those who did not contact the corn seeds. The farmers reported mixing the corn seeds with a carbamate insecticide before planting. The corn seed sample was examined by the laboratory and found methomyl contamination. There were no association between the illness and consumption of any food or water. This report emphasizes the opportunity for farmers to contract insecticide poisoning easily. Since the affected persons were hill tribe and non-Thai persons who might have lack of knowledge and limitation of communication, appropriate surveillance, preventive and control measures should be implemented for these people.