A 2018 case report published in BMC Research Notes documented the progression of paraquat poisoning in an 18-year-old Bangladeshi patient. Although his kidney function initially improved, he developed respiratory symptoms around two weeks later and eventually developed extensive pulmonary fibrosis. The researchers described paraquat-induced kidney and lung injury as an emerging public health threat in Bangladesh and highlighted the absence of an effective antidote.

Another Bangladeshi case report, published in 2021, documented acute kidney and liver injury following paraquat ingestion. The researchers explained that paraquat can accumulate in the lungs and generate reactive oxygen species, while kidney injury can occur because the chemical damages renal tubular cells. -PubMed Central (PMC)

The scale of the problem has become even clearer with new Bangladesh-specific research. A study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in May 2026 examined paraquat poisoning in 10 tertiary hospitals across Bangladesh that serve more than 65 per cent of the country's population.

Researchers identified 1,420 patients between 2013 and 2024. The number of recorded cases increased from one in 2013 to 493 in 2024. Of 257 patients for whom detailed clinical information was available, 71.2 per cent developed acute kidney injury manifested by leg swelling, while 65.8 per cent experienced vomiting and 58 per cent abdominal pain. The reported case fatality rate was 43.2 per cent. The researchers concluded that paraquat poisoning has become an emerging toxicological crisis in Bangladesh and called for its agricultural use to be banned and replaced with less toxic alternatives. (PubMed)