Arsenic was found in the blood of one of three women who died in a suspected poisoning in Brazil after eating a Christmas cake, a police chief told local media.
The highly toxic substance was also identified in the blood test results of a 10-year-old boy and the woman who baked the cake – both of whom remain in hospital.
Five members of the same family fell ill after eating the cake at a gathering in Torres, southern Rio Grande do Sul state, on Monday afternoon.
Police sent the cake for testing and said a search of the woman’s home also found several stale foods. They added that it was not yet clear whether the suspected poisoning was intentional.
According to local media, the cake’s test results are expected to be available next week.
On Friday, police requested the exhumation of the body of a man – the late husband of the woman who baked the cake. He died of food poisoning in September, but police said his death was considered natural at the time.
She is not currently considered a suspect in any of these cases and the investigation is ongoing.
Six of seven people at the Christmas party ate the cake Monday afternoon, including the woman who baked it.
Police told Brazilian broadcasters that she was believed to be the only one who ate two pieces of her homemade cake and that her tests showed the highest levels of arsenic.
Speaking to local media, police chief Marcos Vinicius Veloso said some family members complained that the cake had a “peppery” taste.
The family then experienced symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea and five of them sought medical attention at Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes Hospital around 01:00 local time (04:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Hours later, two sisters died of cardiac arrest, the hospital said. They were named in local media as Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, and Tatiana Denize Silva dos Santos, 43.
The third victim, whose blood test showed traces of arsenic, died later Tuesday evening of “shock secondary to food poisoning,” the hospital said.
She is named locally as 65-year-old Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjos.
Arsenic is a metallic element that occurs naturally.
Its inorganic form is highly toxic and is classified by the EU as a Category 1 carcinogen – meaning it is known to cause cancer in humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people are exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic when they drink contaminated water or use it in food preparation, as well as when irrigating crops, industrial processes and smoking tobacco.
Because arsenic is present in the soil, small amounts can end up in food. However, generally these values are low enough that they are not a cause for concern.
It is also used in pesticides and pharmaceuticals, although in limited cases.
