More pharm connection....

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- An illegal brew laced with industrial alcohol caused the deaths of 49 people in Kenya, medical workers said Sunday, while police continued to search for a woman suspected of distributing the drink to local bars.

More than 174 people were hospitalized Saturday and Sunday, after drinking the homemade brew containing methanol -- a toxic wood alcohol added to the concoction to give it more kick.

More poisoned patients were still arriving at Machakos General Hospital, medical superintendent Simon Mueke said by telephone.

"Two people have gone completely blind, and another eight have reduced vision of varying degree," he said.

Patients have overwhelmed the small hospital in Machakos district, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of Nairobi. Television footage from Saturday showed nurses in a crowded hospital ward working frantically to resuscitate poisoned patients. Other people were shown in beds being intravenously rehydrated, and some drunk patients were pictured struggling to stay on their feet.

"We are appealing for blankets and bed sheets for the patients," Mueke said. "The weather is very cold, and this is an extraordinary emergency that has stretched our capacity beyond its limits."

Police brought 15 bodies to the hospital Saturday, and another 34 people died while receiving emergency treatment Sunday, Mueke said.

Many of those hospitalized were suffering serious complications, he said.

Police have arrested several suspects, but did not say how many. They are still searching for a woman suspected of distributing the illegal brew, known locally as chang'aa, to several illegal bars, an officer said.

The suspects detained "are assisting the police in investigations in the source and distribution network of the brew," Eastern Provincial Police Officer Thomas Chigamba said.

Methanol is highly poisonous and can cause blindness and lead to death.