Mozambique funeral beer poisoning

Mozambique funeral beer poisoning

Chitima Location within Mozambique of Chitima, site of the funeral where contaminated pombe was served
Date	9 January 2015
Venue	Funeral
Location	Tete Province, Mozambique
Coordinates	15°44′13″S 32°46′19″E / 15.737°S 32.772°E / -15.737; 32.772[1]
Cause	Contaminated beer, Burkholderia gladioli, bongkrekic acid, toxoflavin.
First reporter	Radio Mozambique
Deaths	75
Non-fatal injuries	More than 230[2]

On 9 January 2015, 75 people died and 230 were made ill after drinking contaminated beer at a funeral in Mozambique. All of the people affected had consumed the local beer, pombe, on 9 January, which had been inadvertently contaminated by the bacterium Burkholderia gladioli which produced the toxic compound bongkrekic acid.^[2]

Early speculation on the source of the illness by Mozambique officials blamed crocodile bile. A Forbes article opposed this hypothesis and instead pointed to the toxic flowering plant foxglove as the likely source of the poison.^[3][4] Only in November 2015 was it determined that the deaths and illnesses were a result of bacterial contamination of the beer.^[5]