Outbreak of Fatal Childhood Lead Poisoning Related to Artisanal Gold Mining in Northwestern Nigeria, 2010.
dc.contributor.author | Dooyema, C A | |
dc.contributor.author | Neri, A | |
dc.contributor.author | Lo, Y-C | |
dc.contributor.author | Durant, J | |
dc.contributor.author | Dargan, P I | |
dc.contributor.author | Swarthout, T | |
dc.contributor.author | Biya, O | |
dc.contributor.author | Gidado, S O | |
dc.contributor.author | Haladu, S | |
dc.contributor.author | Sani-Gwarzo, N | |
dc.contributor.author | Nguku, P M | |
dc.contributor.author | Akpan, H | |
dc.contributor.author | Idris, S | |
dc.contributor.author | Bashir, A M | |
dc.contributor.author | Brown, M J | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2012-04-24T16:37:18Z | |
dc.date.available | 2012-04-24T16:37:18Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2011-12-20 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Environ Health Perspect 2011; Published ahead of print | en |
dc.identifier.issn | 1552-9924 | |
dc.identifier.pmid | 22186192 | |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1289/ehp.1103965 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10144/220352 | |
dc.description.abstract | Background: In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children's deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. Objectives: To determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children aged <5 years in need of emergency chelation therapy for lead poisoning. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional, door-to-door questionnaire in two affected villages, collected blood from children aged 2-59 months, and soil samples from family compounds. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed with survey, blood-lead, and environmental data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. Results: We surveyed 119 family compounds. One hundred eighteen of 463 (25%) children aged <5 years had died in the last year. We tested 59% (204/345) of children, aged <5 years, and all were lead poisoned (≥10 µg/dL); 97% (198/204) of children had blood-lead levels ≥45 µg/dL, the threshold for initiating chelation therapy. Gold ore was processed inside two-thirds of the family compounds surveyed. In multivariate modeling significant risk factors for death in the previous year from suspected lead poisoning included: the child's age, the mother performing ore-processing activities, community well as primary water source, and the soil-lead concentration in the compound. Conclusion: The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children aged <5 years with elevated blood-lead levels (97%, >45 µg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children prior to death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities. | |
dc.language | ENG | |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences | en |
dc.relation.url | http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.1103965 | en |
dc.rights | Published by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Archived on this site by Open Access permission | en |
dc.subject.mesh | Lead poisoning | en |
dc.subject.mesh | Pediatrics | en |
dc.title | Outbreak of Fatal Childhood Lead Poisoning Related to Artisanal Gold Mining in Northwestern Nigeria, 2010. | en |
dc.type | Article | en |
dc.contributor.department | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental, Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; CDC, Epidemic Intelligence Service Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s Health Partners, London, UK; Médecins Sans Frontières, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Nigerian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Abuja, Nigeria; CDC, Abuja, Nigeria; Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria; Zamfara State Ministry of Health, Gusau, Nigeria | en |
dc.identifier.journal | Environmental Health Perspectives | en |
refterms.dateFOA | 2019-03-04T09:43:55Z | |
html.description.abstract | Background: In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children's deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. Objectives: To determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children aged <5 years in need of emergency chelation therapy for lead poisoning. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional, door-to-door questionnaire in two affected villages, collected blood from children aged 2-59 months, and soil samples from family compounds. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed with survey, blood-lead, and environmental data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. Results: We surveyed 119 family compounds. One hundred eighteen of 463 (25%) children aged <5 years had died in the last year. We tested 59% (204/345) of children, aged <5 years, and all were lead poisoned (≥10 µg/dL); 97% (198/204) of children had blood-lead levels ≥45 µg/dL, the threshold for initiating chelation therapy. Gold ore was processed inside two-thirds of the family compounds surveyed. In multivariate modeling significant risk factors for death in the previous year from suspected lead poisoning included: the child's age, the mother performing ore-processing activities, community well as primary water source, and the soil-lead concentration in the compound. Conclusion: The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children aged <5 years with elevated blood-lead levels (97%, >45 µg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children prior to death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities. |