Methanol poisoning kills three in Brazil as secret alcohol factory uncovered

Police investigating a mass methanol poisoning in Brazil have uncovered a clandestine alcohol factory whose products are believed to be linked to the deaths of two people.

There has been a total of 225 confirmed cases of methanol poisoning - mainly in São Paulo - and three people have died as a result of the contamination. Today, the Civil Police uncovered a secret alcoholic beverage factory, located in São Bernardo do Campo, which allegedly bought contaminated ethanol at gas stations to produce the drinks that caused the death of two of the victims.

Officials said that two of the people who died had drunk vodka purchased at the same bar. Public Security Secretary Guilherme Derrite said during a press conference that the ethanol used in the production of counterfeit drinks contained more than 40% methanol mixed with ethanol - and in some cases, would have originated from the same gas station or chain of gas stations.

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According to Brazilian news portal G1, police said mixing ethanol and methanol - a highly toxic substance banned for human consumption - aimed at increasing the volume of the original drinks, making them more profitable. After the clandestine factory was unveiled and search warrants carried out, the building was dismantled and materials were seized for forensic analysis.

The publication reported that the owner of the factory will be arrested and charged with forgery, corruption, or adulteration of food substances or products. If found guilty, they could face four to eight years' imprisonment and a fine.

So far, three people are confirmed to have died after drinking poisoned alcohol in the South American country. Bruna Araújo de Souza, 30, died after falling in having consumed a vodka-based drink at a bar last week. The deaths of two other victims, Marcos Antônio Jorge Júnior, 46, and Ricardo Lopes Mira, 54, were reported in late September. All three were from the state of São Paulo.

According to the health ministry, a total of 225 confirmed cases of methanol poisoning have been reported in the country so far, with most in the same region where three people have died. A dozen businesses have been closed with police seizing around 10,000 bottles of alcohol. People have been told not to consume any drinks without labels.

Police confirmed the tainted drinks are mainly gin, vodka, and whiskey. Brazil's health minister Alexandre Padilha has called the situation "abnormal and unlike anything else in our history regarding methanol poisoning in the country." He added: "I advise everyone to avoid distilled products, especially colourless ones, unless you're certain of their origin. These are not essential items."

The World Health Organization has called on member states to "enhance toxicological and epidemiological surveillance, guarantee prompt clinical management of cases, strengthen prevention and risk communication efforts directed at the public, and work in coordination with relevant authorities to investigate and control the circulation of contaminated beverages."

Last year, six backpackers died in Laos as a result of suspected methanol poisoning. The travellers, including a British lawyer, are believed to had all taken shots laced with methanol, which is sometimes used by disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol (alcohol), and can cause severe poisoning or death.

Methanol poisoning is defined by the NIH as the consumption of methanol (a type of toxic alcohol found in products like paint thinner and antifreeze). Given that methanol is clear, tasteless and almost completely odourless, it is nearly impossible to know whether a drink is contaminated.

But even a small amount of methanol can lead to critical illness or death. According to the NHS, "Methanol poisoning can cause visual disturbance, and as little as 4mL methanol has been reported to cause blindness." The site states that other symptoms of methanol poisoning include "dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea." Depending on the amount ingested and the time before treatment, methanol poisoning can also lead to coma, nervous system damage and death.