European Egg Scandle

Reading the article from USA today from mid-August “EU planstalks as egg scandal hits 17 countries” I was introduced to the apparent “Egg scandal”.  The article touches on how millions of eggs were pulled from super markets and destroyed due to a Fipronil contamination and that the European Union is making plans for discussion this month.  The article then goes on to state that there are only low levels of fipronil found in the eggs well below the threshold of what is safe “seven to ten times lower” and only that acute poisoning and/or chronic exposure can lead to seizures and liver, kidney damage. Also stating that the poultry farmers are blaming “The chemical industry”.

But what exactly is fipronil? What does it do? How does it work? Why does it work on pests and not mammals?  How was it introduced to the egg supply? I am going to attempt to clarify these questions.

Fipronil or (RS)-5-Amino-1-[2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-(trifluoromethylsulfinyl)pyrazole-3-carbonitrile is a broad spectrum insecticide. Most commonly used to control fleas and ticks on pets and the active ingredient in Frontline used by millions of pet owners.

Fipronil blocks gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate-gated chloride channels (GABA and GluCl). When open These channels allow for the flow chloride down its electrochemical gradient. They are membrane proteins and contribute to the excitability of these membranes and transport ions across the membrane. They also are localized to intracellular components like endosomes or lysosomes and help regulate the pH of their compartments. Blocking these channels lead to hyperexcitation of the nerves and muscles which would explain the seizures.

The selectivity of fipronil to insects is due to mammalian cells not utilizing the Glutamate gated chloride channel and that invertebrates are believed to have a higher affinity for GABA receptors.

The Author only notes that the Fipronil was an ingredient of another treatment known as Dega 16. I could not find any information on this product in English at the time of writing but in referencing the article “Belgian-DutchFipronil scandal expands” from poultryworld.net. The source of the contamination extends from a Belgian pest control company that added fipronil to the existing dega 16 product for red mite control and then sold the mixture to the Dutch firm named Chicken friend whom it appears unwittingly dosed a sizable portion of the regions poultry population. Dega 16 on its own is a solution of methanol and eucalyptus essential oil branded as a natural product. Hardly the work of “the chemical industry” as a whole.