Forensic case of lead poisoning from a battery manufacturing company in Nakuru, Kenya

Abstract

Acute sickness involving dairy cattle (n = 5) with a morbidity of 100% occurred in a farm in Nakuru, Kenya. A case study was undertaken with the objective of establishing the cause of the sickness. Samples of blood, soil and industrial waste contained high levels of lead. The symptoms, results of postmortem and history of the case were used to establish the diagnosis of acute lead poisoning. This is a forensic case in court between the owner of the animals and a lead recycling company that dumped the industrial waste that was associated with the poisoning. There could be many unreported cases of lead poisoning in Kenya areas with heavy industrial activities since data on of lead poisoning in Kenya is scanty