Cassava or pesticide poisoning?

The latest news about the 29 children dead of food poisoning from a Cassava baseds snack is that there is a question if it was due to poorly prepared snack, since cooking etc destroys this poison, or if it was contaminated by an organophosphate pesticide found in the house of the one who prepared the snack.

It seems to be the usual confusion, since symptoms are different... and to add to the confusion, the some patients had different symptoms, and some responded to different antidotes.

Organophosphates cause dilated pupils, paralysis, sweating, anxiety, muscle spasms, tearing, vomiting and diarrhea. You treat it with atropine. Most Emergency room docs see mild cases of this, usually a gardner who doesn't spray correctly. Children are especially prone to symptoms, as are animals...(our kittens developed mild symptoms from overdoing flea shampoo one year...luckily, we washed them off, and they quickly recovered).

However, Cassava poisoning is not unknown link link

Symptoms as described by Dr. Golden of Aberdeen University are mainly neurological:
Symptoms of cassava poisoning - known as "Konzo" have been described in detail. There is a sudden onset of spastic paraparesis affecting mainly women and adolescents. There is no flaccid phase to the illness, the reflexes are exaggerated with clonus, strongly planter-flexed feet and a scissors-gait in those that can stand. The condition is not progressive and there are no sensory signs or symptoms.

Konzo is common in African countries that use cassava roots as a primary food source. I never saw any cases when I worked in Africa, since people ate rice in one and maize porridge in the other country....Like in the Philippines it was an occassional snack/food supplement only... However, in countries with very poor soil like Mozambique or Malawi it is a primary calorie source-- alas, not very good in vitamins, so was associated with malnutrition/vitamin deficiencies. However, during the civil war in Mozambique, there were many deaths from poorly cooked cassava.

More information here...on acute poisoning, and HERE
is a link to the need for long term rehabilitation of chronic poisoning symptoms.