International

It was a vacation nightmare. A Wilmington family of four staying in a Virgin Islands condo, with idyllic views of Cruz Bay on St. John, suddenly became seriously ill. So ill that they were airlifted home and hospitalized, the father and two teenage boys in critical condition… The likely scenario that has emerged is that they were poisoned after methyl bromide was sprayed in the condo underneath the one where the family was staying. The pesticide is banned in many countries and is not authorized for use in residences in the U.S… “In many developing counties where there is a protracted man vs. insect battle, lots of misapplications take place,” said Mark Robson, a professor in Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Plant Sciences. He also edits the Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment. “One should be cautious, avoid the applications when possible, and assume they will occur in developing countries.”… Robson said he has been sprayed as he sat by the pool at a resort in Africa, in airplanes, and even one time in a sauna in Poland. “Many places have unqualified people making these applications, typically in long white coats and wearing gloves and goggles, while you sit there by the pool in only a bathing suit.”