[bonesmccoy]

What's the mechanism of action of zinc phosphide?

Coumadin analogues create signs and symptoms consistent with the news story (interference with the natural coagulation cascade).

Your point about seizures is a good one, but perhaps the media is not saavy to such things. What arguments were floated to eliminate the other tickets.

[vetvetdoug]

Zn3P2 causes vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bloat, hyperesthesia, and in the last agonal moments, convulsions. As the poison is digested there is more phosphine released and the only treatment is NaHco3 orally. Strichnyne, OP, Carbamates kill by convulsions (cholinesterase inhibitors). Coumadin analogues do not show toxicity for at least 24-48 hours, this poison acted within hours.

We need a little more information to identify the culprit but bets are on NaF or Zn3P2.

[vetvetdoug]

Another article that was published by the Sun in England cited the toxin as KCN. That is not a common rat poison in the US by any means. Being a CN would explain the sudden onset of symptoms.