All of the fatalities, caused by brain inflammation, were linked to exposure to lychee fruit and occurred within 20 hours of the symptoms surfacing, according to the research published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. But the authors of the new study said the Bangladesh deaths were not connected to the fruit. "These deaths occurred at a time when lychee was being harvested and consumed across Bangladesh. If the seeds were the cause, then we would expect to see cases scattered across the country, not just in a certain small area." Endosulfan was phased out by the United States at the end of 2016 and by the European Union in 2005.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 25, 2017 00:33 UTC