Dioxin poisoning Viktor Yushchenko

yushchenko @ university of amsterdam, chloracne tcdd dioxin poisoning (2006).

the campaign bitter , violent. yushchenko became ill in september 2004. flown vienna s rudolfinerhaus clinic treatment , diagnosed acute pancreatitis, accompanied interstitial edematous changes, due serious viral infection , chemical substances not found in food products. yushchenko claimed had been poisoned government agents. after illness, face disfigured: jaundiced, bloated, , pockmarked.

british toxicologist professor john henry of st mary s hospital in london declared changes in yushchenko s face due chloracne, results dioxin poisoning. dutch toxicologist bram brouwer stated changes in appearance result of chloracne, , found dioxin levels in yushchenko s blood 6,000 times above normal.

on december 11, dr. michael zimpfer of rudolfinerhaus clinic declared yushchenko had ingested tcdd dioxin , had 1,000 times usual concentration in body. not in medical community agreed diagnosis, including clinic s own chief medical director, dr. lothar wicke, stated there no evidence of poisoning other severe chloracne visible on yushchenko s face, , claimed have been forced resign because of disagreement. wicke claimed have been threatened yushchenko s associates. wicke s claims led question yushchenko s truthfulness , motives.

many have linked yushchenko s poisoning dinner group of senior ukrainian officials (including volodymyr satsyuk) took place on 5 september.

since 2005, yushchenko has been treated team of doctors led professor jean saurat @ university of geneva hospital. analysis of yushchenko s body fluids , tissues provided useful information on human toxicokinetics of tcdd , metabolites.

in june 2008, david zhvania, former political ally of yushchenko, discredited agent of moscow , ex-minister in first tymoshenko government, claimed in interview bbc yushchenko had not been poisoned in 2004 , laboratory results in case had been falsified.

yushchenko himself implicated david zhvania, godfather of 1 of children, of involvement in dioxin poisoning.

in august 2009, lancet published scientific paper swiss , ukrainian researchers on monitoring, form, distribution, , elimination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (tcdd) in yushchenko in relation severe poisoning. 2004 tcdd levels in yushchenko s blood serum 50,000-fold greater in general population. new study concluded dioxin pure made in laboratory .

on september 27, 2009 yushchenko said in interview aired on channel 1+1 testimony of 3 men @ dinner in 2004 @ believes poisoned crucial finishing investigation, , claimed these men in russia. ukrainian prosecutors said russia has refused extradite 1 of men, former deputy chief of ukraine s security service, volodymyr satsyuk, because holds both russian , ukrainian citizenship. after arriving in russia satsyuk granted russian citizenship protecting him extradition.