In a press conference on Saturday morning (4), the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, announced that the number of reported cases of methanol poisoning climbed to 127of which 11 are confirmed.
Until Friday (3), they were 113 notified cases and 11 confirmed. “We had an increase in suspicious cases, but not an increase in confirmed cases,” the minister said at the press conference in Teresina (PI).
The ministry stated that 4300 ampoules of A strategic stock of – which serves as an antidote for methanol poisoning – will arrive next week and will be distributed across the country. In addition, 609 Brazilian pharmacies have the ability to produce the compound.
In the press conference, Padilha also stated that the Ministry of Health made the acquisition of 2500 hunger treatmentsfrom abroad and which is also expected to arrive for this week. The drug is another alternative of antidote For cases of intoxication.
According to the ministry, 12 states reported suspected cases of methanol poisoning. The government has established that it has guaranteed throughout the SUS (Unified Health System) network, pharmaceutical ethanol to be used in cases suspected of methanol poisoning.
O and can cause irreversible blindness and even death. Symptoms begin similarly to common alcohol intake, such as nausea and abdominal pain, but can evolve rapidly to cloudy vision, seizures and coma.
The Ministry of Health has created a situation room to monitor cases of methanol poisoning after alcohol consumption in the country, as well as coordinating measures to be adopted.
The situation room is extraordinary and will remain active as long as the sanitary risk persists. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security associates occurrences with the consumption of adulterated alcohol. “At this moment, especially drinks sealed with the thread,” said Padilha.
