Two Outbreaks of Acute Tung Nut (Aleurites fordii) Poisoning

Abstract

Objective: Aleurites fordii, widely distributed in the Southeastern US, Taiwan, mainland China, Japan and India, is commonly known as Tung Nut, Tung Oil Tree or Chinawood Oil Tree. The seeds are the most toxic part. Case Reports: We report two outbreaks of Aleurites fordii poisoning, occurring on November 27, 1992 and November 29, 1994. Thirty-five elementary school students and 29 senior high school students misidentified Aleurites fordii seeds as chestnuts and ingested variable amounts. Methods: We conducted a survey by questionnaire to supplement the hospital record information. Simple descriptive statistics and Chi-square (Fisher's exact) tests were calculated. Results: The three most common symptoms of the patients were vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The more serious clinical presentations occurred in younger victims. Our information suggests that food attenuates intestinal irritation perhaps by delaying absorption of the toxic principle. With symptomatic treatment, all of the symptoms and signs subsided within one to two days. Conclusions: Aleurites fordii can be cultivated and is easily accessible to the community and schools. Public education about the toxicity of Tung Nut seeds in areas of ready availability may reduce the chance of misidentification and subsequent poisoning.