TMAU, a Rare Disorder that Causes "Fish Odor" Body Smell

ABC did a special that looked at a rare metabolic disorder that causes bad body odor, which can range from what is described as a "fish odor" smell to a feces or urine odor or a smell of garbage.

Wikipedia says that TMAU "causes a defect in the normal production of the enzyme Flavin containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3). When FMO3 is not working correctly, the body loses the ability to properly breakdown trimethylamine. Trimethylamine is consumed through the diet and when not properly broken down ... builds up and is released in the person's sweat, urine and breath, giving off a strong fishy odor." (The Wikipedia article has links to articles for more information.)

As you can imagine, people with the disorder, called TMAU (short for trimethylaminuria), have had their lives turned upside down, and are desperate for information and solutions. The article noted above gives a list of frequently asked questions about TMAU, which is sometimes called fish odor syndrome or fish malodor syndrome. And you can also find a first-person account from a sufferer online. There's also an old article from Science News (1999) that has more information on TMAU.

According to the ABC article, TMAU has both genetic and environmental components. Digestion and metabolism of certain foods, for example, can cause various body odors (as well as breath odors).

Ethical, Legal Questions Dog Those "Bodies" Exhibitons

Bodies: the Exhibition is one of several popular exhibits that clearly reveal the workings of the human body by using plasticized bodies: real human bodies in which the fluids are replaced with a plastic liquid, which preserves the body and allows visitors to view its inner workings.

Bodies: the Exhibition and Body Worlds are two of the exhibitions have come under criticism because of accusations that at least some of the bodies may be of people who did not give permission for their remains to be used in this manner: namely, executed or tortured prisoners, including political prisoners.

The head of Body Worlds has said he would no longer use cadavers (corpses) from China because he said he had to destroy some of the bodies he got from that country because the bodies' injuries indicated they might have been victims of execution. Dr. Gunter von Hagens, who founded Body Worlds and created the process that creates the plasticized bodies, told ABC News that he wouldn't use bodies from China anymore.

A company called Corcoran Laboratories based in Traverse City, Michigan is a supplier of cadavers and body organs to one of the "bodies" exhibitors. Corcoran Laboratories has also licensed a company called Eternal Preservation Incorporated to apply the process of plasticization to the embalming of funeral home customers.