Overview

• Brazil has 246 notifications of methanol intoxication tied to adulterated drinks, including 29 confirmed cases and five deaths, with a suspected death in Minas Gerais ruled out and new suspected cases reported in Pernambuco.
• Police in São Paulo dismantled a clandestine site in São Bernardo do Campo and made arrests after seizures of falsified bottles and labels, as forensic tests found deliberate methanol addition—with some bottles reaching roughly 45% methanol.
• Investigators are examining whether ethanol purchased at fuel stations supplied the adulteration, a developing lead that could indicate a broader chain of fraud across suppliers.
• The Ministry of Health received 2,500 doses of fomepizole via PAHO, began nationwide distribution prioritizing São Paulo, and detailed state-by-state allocations, while Anvisa authorized domestic production of injectable ethanol by Cristália for donation to the federal stockpile.
• Hospitals followed toxicology guidance allowing supervised ethanol as an emergency measure; a São Paulo patient treated initially with vodka plus hemodialysis was discharged with vision impairment, and public caution has grown with bars reporting sharp drops in distilled-drink sales.