Dear Ministry for Primary Industries,

The medical notes for the Kochumman family that was poisoned by wild boar in Putaruru, raise some questions:
(1) 1080 was the number 1 suspect, according to the poisoned patients' medical notes. The Waikato DHB states that they have tested for 1080.
However the date of the urine test was 18 days after hospitalisation, which is outside of the time that 1080 is detectable in urine (it is excreted from urine within seven days of ingestion - See Charles Eason's Vertebrate Pesticides Toxicology Manual for further details).
(2) None of the meat collected by MPI has been tested for 1080. This was confirmed in a meeting with the WDHB yesterday. Someone should ask why it was not tested, when the patients' medical notes say the wild boar meat should be tested for 1080.
(3) Why did they continue to say it was botulism when they knew early on that the symptoms didn't fully align?
(4) Why has neither the WDHB nor MPI followed up with the person who provided the wild boar meat to Shibu's family?
This information is held by the WDHB. It could be a public health risk as this person has probably supplied meat to others.

Yours faithfully,

Graham Carter