Metomil pesticide linked to fatal poisoning at Pariconha fair in Alagoas, Brazil

Forensic analysis by the Alagoas Police Scientific Laboratory detected the insecticide metomil in the biological samples of Gilberto Alves Vicente, a 36‑year‑old man who died after a collective poisoning at a free‑market event in Pariconha, Sertão Alagoano. The incident, which occurred on Sunday (26), involved seven people who consumed a locally popular "raizada" drink; six were hospitalized with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, respiratory difficulty and cardiac irregularities, while Vicente succumbed to the exposure.

Metomil is an agricultural pesticide authorized for use in Brazil and classified by the World Health Organization as a highly hazardous agro‑toxin. The toxicology report has been forwarded to investigators Deputy Rodrigo Cavalcante and Deputy Carlos Melro, as well as to the State Health Secretariat, to guide medical treatment and to aid the ongoing police investigation. Additional testing of the seized beverage and of samples from the remaining patients is still underway.

The affected patients are being cared for at the Hospital Regional do Alto Sertão (HRAS) in Delmiro Gouveia, while authorities continue to determine the source of the contamination.