Overview

• The Health Ministry reports 41 confirmed cases and eight deaths linked to adulterated spirits, with 107 suspected cases under investigation and 469 notifications discarded.
• Confirmed cases are concentrated in São Paulo (33), with additional cases in Paraná (4), Pernambuco (3) and Rio Grande do Sul (1), while 10 further deaths are being analyzed.
• A multiagency action dubbed Operation Alquimia is collecting samples in 21 cities across five states to chemically trace methanol’s origin through importers, terminals, chemical firms, distilleries and fuel producers.
• State crackdowns continue, including the destruction of more than 100,000 seized bottles in São Paulo and dozens of arrests there, an arrest tied to falsified beverages in Porto Alegre, and raids on unsanitary clandestine factories in Pernambuco.
• Clinical capacity is expanding with CIATox/Unicamp adding up to 190 tests per day, Fiocruz support, delivery of the antidote fomepizol to treatment centers, and new gas‑chromatography testing available in Rio Grande do Sul.