Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and response process of an acute poisoning event caused by carbofuran in buttered tea and provide scientific evidence for the investigation of similar events in the future. Methods: Field epidemiological survey, animal experiments and laboratory tests were conducted for an acute poisoning event occurred in Suopo township of Danba county of Sichuan province in 2018. Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the acute poisoning event. Results: A total of 26 poisoning cases occurred in 3 villages. The total attack rate was 41.27%. No death cases were reported. The 26 cases occurred in a few minutes after drinking buttered tea, the main symptoms were vomit, dizziness, miosis and nausea. A dog showed the same symptoms after drinking a sample of buttered tea. Carbofuran was detected in buttered tea, vomitus and zanba samples. Conclusions The acute poisoning was caused by carbofuran in buttered tea, the transmission mode was point source spread. Effective epidemiological investigation and simple animal experiment can provide evidence for the rapid sample detection and clinical treatment of cases in emergency response. Timely case treatment and strict poisoning source control are the key measures to reduce casualty and prevent the spread of poisoning.