1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit mass poisoning

The 1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit mass poisoning, known in French as Le Pain Maudit, or cursed bread, took place on 15 August 1951 in the small town of Pont-Saint-Esprit in southern France. More than 250 people were involved, including 50 people interned in asylums, and there were seven deaths. A foodborne illness was suspected, and it was originally believed to be a case of cursed bread. A majority of academic sources accept naturally occurring ergot poisoning as the cause of the epidemic, while a few theorise other causes such as poisoning by mercury, mycotoxins or nitrogen trichloride. The entry records the episode and the disputed explanations and is not medical advice.