Zaragoza Radiotherapy Accident – 1990

9 years ago

When the Zaragoza Clinic’s electron accelerator malfunctioned and was repaired in early December 1990, it was fortunate that the machine’s…

BSE and vCJD

9 years ago

In scientific terms Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) are Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). Put simply this…

Goiânia Accident – 1987

9 years ago

Nothing goes to waste where people are living on the breadline, and few opportunities to make a little extra money…

AIDS Pandemic – 1980 to present

9 years ago

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the AIDS epidemic began. The first death assumed to be caused by Acquired…

Spanish Toxic Oil Syndrome – 1981

9 years ago

It started with the death of eight-year-old Jaime Garcia in his mother’s arms on the way to hospital. When doctors…

Tainted Blood on the NHS – 1973

9 years ago

Described as ‘the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS’, the tainted ‘Hemofil’ blood product that was used…

Iraqi Seed Grain Poisoning – 1971-1972

9 years ago

After a series of disastrous harvests in the late 1960s, Saddam Hussein applied for an aid shipment of 90,000 tons…

Thalidomide – 1959-1969

9 years ago

Images of the effects of Thalidomide are firmly etched into the public consciousness. What was originally seen as a safe…

The Cutter Incident – 1955

9 years ago

Poliomyelitis is a peculiarly nasty, highly contagious disease of the central nervous system that all too often leaves its victims…

Minamata Disease – 1932-1968

9 years ago

Doctors first noticed something strange in the Japanese coastal town of Minimata towards the end of April 1956. Patients were…