A common food source has now been identified between all individuals who presented with brodifacoum poisoning in the last two weeks.
Foods that have tested positive include a homemade unlabelled capsicum and chilli paste, a homemade marinated eggplant and a homemade dough.
It has been identified that these products were made in a home kitchen and were gifted or purchased very locally in the Logan area at a community level from mid-September 2025.
A sixth person has been identified as positive for brodifacoum through contact tracing. They are a family member of some of the persons identified in the previous cluster. No other cases external to the cluster already identified have been detected.
All persons exposed to the brodifacoum are well and receiving treatment at home. All are improving clinically.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Catherine McDougall said while there is not believed to be an ongoing risk to the broader community, an updated alert to clinicians in the Logan area has been issued by the Metro South Public Health Unit.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have issued an updated alert to clinicians in the Logan area in case there are other people who may have consumed the products and have not yet been identified,” Dr McDougall said.
"We are pleased that a food source link has been identified between all three families in the cluster and all patients are well and improving clinically.
“It is reassuring that no further cases outside the family clusters have been identified, and we are confident that the products are not being currently made or distributed.”
Queensland Health continues to work with Queensland Police Service (QPS) and investigations into how these products tested positive for brodifacoum are ongoing.
Clinicians continue to be encouraged to be alert for presentations with any symptoms that may indicate brodifacoum poisoning, particularly bleeding related symptoms that cannot otherwise be explained.
Brodifacoum is the active ingredient in rat poison that inhibits Vitamin K, which is essential for blood to clot. It can cause bleeding-related complications if ingested by humans.&
Brodifacoum poisoning can present with bleeding related symptoms that cannot otherwise be explained. These include:
- Bleeding gums
- Unexplained bruises
- Blood in urine or stool
- Swelling of joints
If people believe they may have consumed the identified products or are experiencing bleeding that can’t otherwise be explained, they should visit their local GP, local satellite health centre or urgent care clinic for testing or call 13 HEALTH for further advice.
If people believe they may have any of the homemade products at home, including in their fridge or freezer, they are not safe to eat and should be thrown in the bin immediately.