Three individuals have lost their lives due to consuming poisoned alcohol in Brazil, prompting authorities to intensify their search for the source of the contaminated drinks. Bruna Araújo de Souza, 30, passed away after ingesting a vodka-based beverage at a local bar. The other victims, Marcos Antônio Jorge Júnior, 46, and Ricardo Lopes Mira, 54, succumbed to the same fate in late September. All three individuals hailed from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The health ministry has confirmed 225 cases of methanol poisoning in the country, with a concentration in the region where the fatalities occurred. Law enforcement has shut down twelve establishments and confiscated approximately 10,000 bottles of alcohol in response.
Authorities are uncertain whether the contamination was deliberate or accidental. As a precautionary measure, the public has been advised against consuming unlabeled drinks. The poisonous liquid was detected in beverages served at three different bars where the fatalities occurred, with the tainted drinks primarily consisting of gin, vodka, and whiskey.
Brazil’s health minister, Alexandre Padilha, described the situation as unprecedented in the country’s history regarding methanol poisoning, urging the public to refrain from consuming colorless distilled products unless their origin is verified. The World Health Organization has called upon member states to enhance surveillance, clinical management, prevention efforts, and risk communication to address the circulation of contaminated beverages.
In a separate incident last year in Laos, six backpackers, including a British lawyer, perished due to suspected methanol poisoning from shots tainted with the toxic alcohol. Methanol poisoning is caused by the ingestion of methanol, a harmful alcohol present in products like paint thinner and antifreeze. Even small quantities of methanol can result in severe illness or death, with symptoms including visual impairment, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Untreated methanol poisoning carries fatality rates ranging from 20% to 40%, depending on the concentration and amount consumed. However, humanitarian organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders, believe these figures underestimate the actual impact of the issue.