On the 9/11/2017 three family members ate a wild boar meal and became seriously ill. The final medical diagnoses of cause pointed towards an unknown neurotoxin that enters the food chain somewhere/somehow. Some of the below questions were sent to Dr Jessamine, Ministry of Health. He advised me that the Ministry for Primary Industries are responsible for investigating potential sources of foodborne illness in humans and animals.

1. Which department within MPI is responsible for actively investigating the source of the unknown neurotoxin that affected the Putaruru family?

2. To date, what kind of investigations have been undertaken, are currently being undertaken and/or are about to be undertaken into finding out what this unknown neurotoxin is that affected this family?

3. Can this unknown neurotoxin strike again at any time?

4. Which department within MPI is responsible for actively investigating dogs affected by the Slow go disease which according to the media also display neurotoxic symptoms after ingesting wild boar meat?

5. To date, what kind of investigations have been done, are currently being undertaken and/or about to be undertaken into finding out what this unknown neurotoxin is in dogs?

6. Do you suspect a connection between the Slow go disease and the food poisoning of the Putaruru family after eating wild boar? Either way, on what information do you base this on?

7. On the FYI site your answer to another OIA request mentions MPI's role of providing technical assistance to the DHB at the MPI Wallaceville Animal Health Laboratory. I believe human samples of blood and urine are tested for 1080 by Landcare research.

Is the Wallaceville laboratory equipped to test for toxins such as 1080, brodifacoum or any other suspected neurotoxins that can be found in the bush or in wild game animals? Or would you need to send samples to Landcare Research or to another laboratory?

8. Has MPI had the remaining meat of the boar tested that the family had put into their freezer for any toxins such as botulism, 1080, brodifacoum or any other suspected toxins that can be found in nature? If this hasn’t already been done, do you have plans to do so as part of an investigation? Or if tested, did any of these tests come back negative or positive, and by which laboratory?

9. I have read studies where animals are chronically exposed to sub-lethal doses of 1080 for a variety of reasons. Can chronic exposure to 1080 in a scavenger such as a boar make them become more of a risk to people who consume wild boar as they can handle a higher dosage before dying? Whether this is possible or not, what studies do you base your answer on?

10. From what I've read 1080 causes metabolic changes before illness or death. If an animal dies of 1080 poisoning by eating a small dose of 1080, does the end result caused by these metabolic changes make the animal filled with more toxic poisons (different chemical toxins) hence being a bigger risk to scavengers? Whether this is the case or not, what information do you base your answer on?

These are thoughts that have been brewing away for some time now. I would appreciate your input.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Helen Black