Veterinary Taxicology

MAJOR DISASTERS

Ergotism in France and Spain in 992

• Ergot poisoning or ergotism was known as 'holy fire'. The term 'fire' was used because of the burning sensations in the extremities that was experienced by the individuals showing gangrenous ergotism and the term 'holy' was used as it was feared to be punishment from God. Later ergotism was referred to as St. Antony's fire. More tahn 40,000 people died of ergotism.

Nuclear Bomb Explosions In Japan in 1945

• During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945 and the second on August 9, 1945. Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects killed 90,000 – 166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000 – 80,000 in Nagasaki. Of the people who died on the day of the explosion, 60% died from flash or flame burns, 30% from falling debris and 10% from other causes. During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness and other injuries.

• Nuclear accident in Pennsylvania orthe tree Mile Island accident was a core meltdown in a Unit of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania in United States in 1979. It was the most significant accident in the history of the USA commercial nuclear power generating industry, resulting in the release of approximately 2.5 million curies of radioactive gases, and approximately 15 curies of ¹³¹I.

• The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Pesticide Plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. A leak of methylisocyanate gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of hundreds of thousands of people. Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259 and the Government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3,787deaths related to the gas release.

• The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Western USSR and Europe. It is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident inhistory. From 1986 to 2000, 350,400 people were evacuated

• Nuclear crisis in Japan occured recently due to floods and damage to nuclear reactors.
• The Fukushima disaster is the largest of the nuclear accidents and is the largest nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, but it is more complex as multiple reactors and spent fuel pools are involved.