Human toxicosis caused by moldy rice contaminated with fusarium and T-2 toxin.

This is the first report on human toxicosis in China caused by moldy rice contaminated with Fusarium and T-2 toxin due to heavy rainfall during rice harvest season. One hundred and sixty-five persons ate the moldy rice and ninety-seven persons fall ill of food poisoning. The incidence was 58.8% and latent period was 10-30 min. The chief symptoms were nausea, dizziness, vomiting, chills, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, thoracic stuffiness and diarrhea. The fungi isolated from the moldy rice were predominantly Fusarium heterosporum (F. heterosporum) and F. graminearum. T-2 toxin was found in these moldy rice and the highest level was 420 ppb. The chief causative agent of intoxication was T-2 toxin.