| ergot poisoning | A syndrome brought on by the consumption of bread (notably rye) contaminated by the ergot fungus, Claviceps purpurea (rye smut), the source of numerous ergot alkaloids. The effects observed include peripheral vascular constriction leading to gangrene, partial paralysis with numbing, tingling and burning in the limbs, feeble pulse, restlessness, stupor or delirium. Can prove fatal. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| corn ergot | A species that resembles ergot of rye in its metabolic action; its black spores on the ears of corn are dispersed by wind and can cause contamination of laboratory cultures. Synonym: corn ergot, corn smut, Ustilago zeae. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| ergot | <botany> A disease of cereal plants (rye, wheat, etc.) caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, this fungus produces toxic alkaloids that, if ingested, cause symptoms such as hallucinations, severe gastrointestinal upset, a burning sensation in the limbs and extremities (St. Anthony's Fire) and a form of gangrene. (09 Oct 1997) |
| ergot alkaloid-associated heart disease | Heart disease caused by endomyocardial fibrosis which extends into valve structures, producing stenosis and/or regurgitation, associated with ergot alkaloid use. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ergot alkaloids | Alkaloids isolated from the ergot fungus claviceps purpurea (hypocreaceae). The ergot alkaloids were the first alpha-adrenergic antagonists discovered, but side effects generally prevent their administration in doses that would produce more than a minimal blockade in humans. Their smooth muscle-stimulating activities may be attributed to alpha-agonistic properties, thus characterizing these alkaloids as a series of partial agonists. They have many clinical applications, notably in obstetrics and the treatment of migraine. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ackee poisoning | An acute and frequently fatal vomiting disease associated with central nervous system symptoms and marked hypoglycaemia, caused by eating unripe ackee fruit of Blighia spaida, a tree common in Jamaica. Synonym: Jamaican vomiting sickness. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arsenic poisoning | A severe poisoning that occurs after the exposure (ingested or inhaled). Signs and symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, apprehension and difficulty breathing. (27 Sep 1997) |
| bacterial food poisoning | A term commonly used to refer to conditions limited to enteritis or gastroenteritis (excluding the enteric fevers and the dysenteries) caused by bacterial multiplication per se or by a soluble bacterial exotoxin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blister beetle poisoning | Poisoning, most often of horses, by ingestion of blister beetles (Epicauta spp.) in hay; the causative toxin is cantharidin, which produces salivation, shock, pollakiuria, and colic. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blood poisoning | See: septicaemia, pyaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bracken poisoning | A disease of cattle caused by long-term, low-level consumption of the bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) and characterised by haemorrhages or tumours in the bladder. Synonym: bracken poisoning. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cadmium poisoning | Poisoning occurring after exposure to cadmium compounds or fumes. It may cause gastrointestinal syndromes, anaemia, or pneumonitis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carbon disulfide poisoning | Acute or chronic intoxication by CS2, an industrial condition encountered among rubber workers and makers of artificial silk (rayon) by the viscose process; characterised by insomnia, listlessness, and irritability, followed by paralyses, impaired vision, peptic ulcer, and psychoses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carbon monoxide poisoning | Toxic asphyxiation due to the displacement of oxygen from oxyhemoglobin by carbon monoxide. (12 Dec 1998) |
| radiation poisoning | A systemic condition caused by substantial whole-body irradiation, seen after nuclear explosions or accidents, rarely after radiotherapy. Manifestations depend on dose, ranging from anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and mild leukopenia, to thrombocytopenia with haemorrhage, severe leukopenia with infection, anaemia, central nervous system damage, and death. Synonym: radiation poisoning. (05 Mar 2000) |
| paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin carbamoylase | <enzyme> Hydrolytic enzyme from shellfish converts saxitoxin, neosaxitoxin, gonyautoxins 1 - 4 to the corresponding decarbamoyl toxins Registry number: EC 3.1.1.- Synonym: pcp toxin carbamoylase, saxitoxin carbamoylase (26 Jun 1999) |