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What plant was blamed for the deaths of children?

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There is archaeological evidence that the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lamarck) was first cultivated in Chilca Canyon, Peru around 8,000 BC. It is a reliable plant, producing tubers in poor soils. The sweet potato is now grown worldwide, especially in tropical regions. It does not require extensive cultivation; sweet potatoes can be planted and somewhat left on their own to develop.

Playing Children Silhouetted Against Water, Malala, Papua New Guinea

There is a little known disease, pig-bel, in Papua New Guinea that was
blamed on the consumption of sweet potatoes.
Playing Children Silhouetted Against Water, Malala, Papua New Guinea
Framed Art Print by Jerry Galea
Buy Framed Art Print at AllPosters.com

There is a little known disease, pig-bel, in Papua New Guinea that was blamed on the consumption of sweet potatoes. Pig-bel, short for pig-belly, generally attacks children or adolescents after a feast where pork is consumed in large quantities. The normal diet for these children was mostly sweet potatoes; pork was a treat.

The bacterium, Clostridium perfringens, is the culprit in pig-bel. It attacks the small intestine causing necrosis, or death of the cells. Pig-bel is extremely painful and without medical care, the victim dies of toxic shock (the release of bacteria into the bloodstream).

Trypsin is an enzyme produced in the pancreas. In the small intestine, trypsin acts to break down proteins during digestion. Raw sweet potatoes contain a trypsin inhibitor. The trypsin inhibitor is probably an anti-herbivory device, meant to deter insects and animals from eating the plants.

Men and Women of the Nazi Occupied Districts of Poland, Russia and France are Herded Together

People who had been imprisoned and kept at near-starvation conditions
suffered from darmbrand or fire-gut.
Men and Women of the Nazi Occupied Districts of Poland,
Russia and France are Herded Together Framed Photographic Print
Buy Framed Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

The inhibitor was suspected of allowing the bacteria to flourish. But why were there not major outbreaks found in other areas of the world? Researchers began to look for other instances where pork and sweet potatoes may have had the same results. The other large outbreak found was shortly after World War II.

People who had been imprisoned and kept at near-starvation conditions suffered from darmbrand or fire-gut. Many of these prisoners, though, hadn't eaten sweet potatoes. But they did share something in common with the children of Papua New Guinea--a drastically low protein diet with a sudden large intake of pork. Protein-starved bodies produce little trypsin. Their bodies were not ready to digest pork, especially improperly cleaned and prepared pork. Trypsin normally destroys bacteria like Clostridium. Sweet potatoes were not the culprit, but in the end served to point researchers in the right direction.

The Department of Health and Human Services has an article about Clostridium bacteria and the rare disease, pig-bel. To learn more about Clostridium bacteria and the rare disease, pig-bel, click on the link:

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