Plum brandy allegedly responsible for methanol poisoning in Slovakia

Bratislava, Sept 17 (CTK) - Slovak sanitary officers have confirmed that the previously reported methanol poisoning of four persons in east Slovakia was caused by homemade plum brandy (slivovice) imported from the Czech Republic and said the people's lives are not threatened.

Some 20 people have died of methanol poisoning with bootleg alcohol in the Czech Republic since September 6. Tens of others are hospitalised and some of the survivors have gone blind.

Slovakia's first current case of methanol poisoning started when a man from east Slovakia ordered via the Internet ten litres of alcohol in the Czech Republic.

The plum brandy was drank at a family celebration in Kapusany, east Slovakia. As a result eight people were hospitalised at the weekend. The poisoning was confirmed in four of them.

"It was homemade slivovice without any label in plastic bottles," Ivan Rovny, Slovak chief sanitary officer, said.

He said the concentration of methanol was not high in the spirit.

Slovak Health Minister Zuzana Zvolenska said she is not planning reducing alcohol sales in reaction to the case.

"At the moment there is no reason to limit alcohol sales," she said.

Neither sanitary officers nor food inspectors have found any bootleg alcohol in shops, bars or restaurants.

That is why the Slovak Agriculture Ministry said at the weekend Slovakia will not follow the example of Poland that banned the sales of drinks with more than 20 percent of alcohol from the Czech Republic.

Both Poland and Slovakia border on the Czech Republic.