1970 ascariasis poisoning incident
Encyclopedia
The 1970 ascariasis poisoning incident was a poison
ing incident that took place in Quebec in February, 1970. At least seven people were infected with parasitic worm eggs by Eric Kranz, a disgruntled postgraduate student from Hempstead, New York. The victims were Canadians Richard Davis, William Butler, David Fisk, and Keith Fern, with three other friends and acquaintances reported to be mildly infested. Doctors said that one of the men may have been affected by as many as 400,000 larvae.
Eric Kranz was a 23-year old postdoctoral student in parasitology
at Macdonald College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
. He shared a house with four roommates: Davis, Butler, Fisk, and Fern. The roommates were at odds with Kranz, who had not paid rent, and asked him to move out. Kranz became agitated and allegedly told the roommates, "I'll put parasites in your food and you'll wake up dead". Kranz did pay the full rent balance on January 31, but the roommates evicted him anyway. Some time around February 1, Kranz prepared a festive Winter Carnival dinner for his roommates, and tainted the food with eggs stolen from the university laboratory where he studied. The roommates were hospitalized around February 12, and Kranz fled Quebec a couple of days later. As the medical investigation continued, doctors suspected poisoning and authorities were notified. On February 25 Kranz was charged with attempted murder and a warrant was sought for his arrest. He surrendered to authorities March 9, pleaded not guilty, and was refused bail.
, dyspnea
, anorexia
, and fever
. The symptoms did not improve, and on February 12 they sought treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
's emergency room with symptoms of acute respiratory distress. In addition to these symptoms physicians noted wheezing and the appearance of hives. The roommates were treated for pneumonia, but the infection did not respond to antibiotics. Davis and Butler were in critical condition. After about four days, the staff was able to confirm the ascariasis diagnosis upon isolating live larvae, about 4 mm long, in the sputum and gastric washings. This confirmed exposure to ascariasis ova which were in the microscopic larval stage, migrating via the blood from intestine to lung. As these larvae ascended the trachea and were swallowed again they began developing into mature worms. Four weeks after infection, the victims passed numerous immature worms in bowel movements. Physicians cleared the developing adults with a course of piperazine
, effectively ending the infestation. The victims were released from the hospital March 5, but the attending physician said that one of the men would probably have permanent lung damage.
This infection established a baseline case
or index case for Ascaris suum infection in humans. Doctors had originally consulted Walter Reed Army Medical Center
but found no precedent for human infection .
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing incident that took place in Quebec in February, 1970. At least seven people were infected with parasitic worm eggs by Eric Kranz, a disgruntled postgraduate student from Hempstead, New York. The victims were Canadians Richard Davis, William Butler, David Fisk, and Keith Fern, with three other friends and acquaintances reported to be mildly infested. Doctors said that one of the men may have been affected by as many as 400,000 larvae.
Eric Kranz was a 23-year old postdoctoral student in parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
at Macdonald College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is a town located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is the second oldest community in Montreal's West Island, having been founded as a parish in 1703...
. He shared a house with four roommates: Davis, Butler, Fisk, and Fern. The roommates were at odds with Kranz, who had not paid rent, and asked him to move out. Kranz became agitated and allegedly told the roommates, "I'll put parasites in your food and you'll wake up dead". Kranz did pay the full rent balance on January 31, but the roommates evicted him anyway. Some time around February 1, Kranz prepared a festive Winter Carnival dinner for his roommates, and tainted the food with eggs stolen from the university laboratory where he studied. The roommates were hospitalized around February 12, and Kranz fled Quebec a couple of days later. As the medical investigation continued, doctors suspected poisoning and authorities were notified. On February 25 Kranz was charged with attempted murder and a warrant was sought for his arrest. He surrendered to authorities March 9, pleaded not guilty, and was refused bail.
Medical aspects
About a week after the dinner, the roommates began to develop coughCough
A cough is a sudden and often repetitively occurring reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes...
, dyspnea
Dyspnea
Dyspnea , shortness of breath , or air hunger, is the subjective symptom of breathlessness.It is a normal symptom of heavy exertion but becomes pathological if it occurs in unexpected situations...
, anorexia
Anorexia (symptom)
Anorexia is the decreased sensation of appetite...
, and fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
. The symptoms did not improve, and on February 12 they sought treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital or Queen Elizabeth's Hospital can refer to one of several institutions named after Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II or Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother:Australia*Queen Elizabeth Hospital, AdelaideBarbados...
's emergency room with symptoms of acute respiratory distress. In addition to these symptoms physicians noted wheezing and the appearance of hives. The roommates were treated for pneumonia, but the infection did not respond to antibiotics. Davis and Butler were in critical condition. After about four days, the staff was able to confirm the ascariasis diagnosis upon isolating live larvae, about 4 mm long, in the sputum and gastric washings. This confirmed exposure to ascariasis ova which were in the microscopic larval stage, migrating via the blood from intestine to lung. As these larvae ascended the trachea and were swallowed again they began developing into mature worms. Four weeks after infection, the victims passed numerous immature worms in bowel movements. Physicians cleared the developing adults with a course of piperazine
Piperazine
Piperazine is an organic compound that consists of a six-membered ring containing two opposing nitrogen atoms. Piperazine exists as small alkaline deliquescent crystals with a saline taste....
, effectively ending the infestation. The victims were released from the hospital March 5, but the attending physician said that one of the men would probably have permanent lung damage.
This infection established a baseline case
Baseline (medicine)
A baseline in medicine is information found at the beginning of a study or other initial known value which is used for comparison with later data. The concept of a baseline is essential to the daily practice of medicine in order to establish a relative rather than absolute meaning to data...
or index case for Ascaris suum infection in humans. Doctors had originally consulted Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...
but found no precedent for human infection .