Graders talk about medical problems

TIFTON — This is the second part of a four part series about peanut graders who claim they became ill after being exposed to toxic peanuts.

A dozen peanut graders who worked for Georgia Federal State Inspection Service last October all fell ill within a week’s time while grading peanuts at Shann Peanut Company in Ambrose. They all suffered very similar symptoms and they are all now under medical care.

The graders said that as soon as the first load of peanuts was brought in they knew something was wrong. “Our eyes were burning as soon as the load came in,” said Sandi Gibbs, a 25-year employee. “I had never seen anything like this before.”

Regenia White was the first one to get sick. “I broke out on my face and my stomach in a red rash,” White said. “It was itching really bad.” She said she went to her brother to get a chemical wash. “It worked for a couple of days, but then it got worse. I felt like I had the flu.”

Gibbs was the second one to get sick. “I felt like I was getting the flu,” she said. “I went to my doctor and got a Z-pack, but I still didn’t get well.” Gibbs said she thought something had bitten her but then realized she had large red welts all over her body. She said the doctor told her she had “contact dermatitis.” She said she just got sicker and the next diagnosis was “hyper sensitivity.” She asked, “Hyper sensitive to what?”

Gibbs said the supervisor was called in and was told there was something wrong with the peanuts. “She took a sample of the peanuts and sent them to the Experiment Station in Tifton,” Gibbs said.

“Two days later, Ron Wood (with GFSIS) called my supervisor and said for us to go back to work or go home. We went back to work,” she said.

Once everyone was back at work, the health problems got worse. White started having nose bleeds and everyone was having breathing problems.

“Now I have to sleep sitting up,” Gibbs said.

“We couldn’t stay in the room with the peanuts for more than an hour,” Gibbs said. “We would have to go outside so we could breathe.” They all continued to suffer from the rashes, itching and burning sensations. They began having headaches.

“My skin still feels like it’s on fire,” Gibbs said. Gibbs said she demanded that she see a dermatologist and she was sent to one in Thomasville. “He said I needed to see a lung doctor and an allergist.”

White has lost 20 pounds since she became ill. “I have diarrhea three days out of seven,” she said.

Rita Caton said she has dug the skin off her legs from scratching the itching sensations.

Ray Strickland said he has discussed his symptoms with some of his friends who served in Vietnam. “They said it sounds just like Agent Orange,” Strickland said.

It wasn’t until December that all of the peanut graders got to see a lung doctor.

They were examined by Dr. James V. Palazzolo at Albany Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates. White and Martin have their medical papers from Palazzolo stating it was the doctor’s impression they had been subjected to “toxic exposure.” The others have not yet received their medical papers.

All of them have been placed on medication. Gibbs and White each take eight medications, Strickland and Caton are each on five medications, and Martin is on six medications. Most of them require inhalers to help them breathe.

The graders said at least two of their children became ill from peanut dust brought home on their clothing. One of the children was hospitalized.

After November 13, the dozen graders were all placed in the office doing clerical work. “We kept asking what was wrong,” Gibbs said. “They told us the first test (of the peanuts) showed a T-2 mycotoxin and the second test was negative.”

T-2, also known as “yellow rain,” is the only mycotoxin known to have been used as a biological weapon. It is a naturally occurring mold byproduct of Fusarium spp fungus which is toxic to humans and animals. The clinical condition it causes is alimentary toxic aleukia which has a host of symptoms involving the skin, airway and stomach.

Next: What the investigators found.

To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208

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