[Fatal food poisoning by parathion]

A case of family food poisoning by the organophosphate insecticide (OPI) parathion is revised. Poisoning was involuntary, affecting four brothers in one family that ate eggplant floured with parathion, which was mistaken for flour. As a result, 2 patients died suddenly and the other two had cardiorespiratory arrest, one dying from this while hospitalized, the other discharged without further consequences. The clinical diagnosis of poisoning was confirmed by the below-normal levels of plasmatic cholinesterase. Presence of parathion was detected in the gastric juices and blood of those poisoned as well as in the sample of the fried eggplant. We emphasize the need for public information campaigns on the storage and use of OPI in order to avoid this kind of accidents.