From Valleynewslive · · 1m 20s
A high school lineman fights paraquat poisoning
A Mississippi junior offensive lineman is in a Houston hospital after accidental exposure to one of the deadliest herbicides on earth.
In brief
A Mississippi junior offensive lineman is in a Houston hospital after accidental exposure to one of the deadliest herbicides on earth. Paraquat kills slowly and quietly: it wrecks the kidneys and liver first, then settles in the lungs weeks later, which is why a small accidental exposure can still end in a transplant…
A season spent in hospital
Zach Brown, a junior offensive lineman at Lake Cormorant High School in Mississippi, has spent the start of the football season hospitalized after accidental exposure to paraquat.
Banned in 70 countries
Paraquat is a restricted-use agricultural herbicide barred in more than 70 countries. Even a small amount, swallowed, can kill.
“It's probably the most toxic herbicide by far”
Rare but often fatal
Mississippi Poison Control puts national paraquat exposures at roughly 100 a year. The mortality rate is high.
The damage arrives late
The compound hits the kidneys and liver first, then gathers in the lungs weeks after contact. Permanent lung injury is the long-term threat.
“Long-term, the biggest issue is injury to the lungs, like permanent lung injury, which can necessitate lung transplantation”
Now facing a transplant
Brown has moved from Le Bonheur to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, where loved ones say he is being evaluated for a lung transplant.
A town rallies
Head coach Nick Nester's wife helped the family launch a GoFundMe. Nester says the last few days have looked more positive, though Brown is not in the clear.
“He's a first-class kid. He's very humble, very quiet. Just a hardworking kid”
The key point
Paraquat kills slowly and quietly: it wrecks the kidneys and liver first, then settles in the lungs weeks later, which is why a small accidental exposure can still end in a transplant evaluation.
