Overview

• The Health Ministry reports 41 confirmed cases and eight deaths linked to methanol-tainted alcoholic drinks, with 33 cases in São Paulo, four in Paraná, three in Pernambuco and one in Rio Grande do Sul.
• Officials list 107 suspected cases under investigation and 469 discarded after testing, with São Paulo accounting for the majority of pending analyses.
• São Paulo Civil Police destroyed about 103,000 empty bottles and 6,000 filled containers seized from a clandestine site in Vila Formosa, part of statewide actions that have led to 57 arrests, including the Operation Poison Source raids.
• Forensic examinations indicate methanol was intentionally added to distilled beverages, reinforcing the criminal nature of the adulteration schemes involving reused bottles and false labels.
• Health agencies expanded laboratory capacity through CIATox/Unicamp and Fiocruz and secured supplies of the antidote fomepizole, alongside clinical guidance urging rapid recognition and treatment.