Meanings
- uncountablemedicineA 1979 outbreak of sudden severe gastroenteritis and liver-related illness that affected mainly children on Great Palm Island, Australia. It was initially unexplained, but is now generally linked to contaminated drinking water involving cyanobacterial toxins and/or excessive copper sulfate treatment, which caused acute poisoning symptoms.
Synonyms: hepatoenteritis
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA 1979 outbreak of sudden severe gastroenteritis and liver-related illness that affected mainly children on Great Palm Island, Australia. It was initially unexplained, but is now generally linked to contaminated drinking water involving cyanobacterial toxins and/or excessive copper sulfate treatment, which caused acute poisoning symptoms.
Cite this entry
Palm Island mystery disease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Palm%20Island%20mystery%20disease
“Palm Island mystery disease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Palm%20Island%20mystery%20disease. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Palm Island mystery disease,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Palm%20Island%20mystery%20disease.
Source: Palm Island mystery disease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.