5 people poisoned after eating puffer fish on Ly Son island

Updated date: 05/05/2024 05:29:11

After eating puffer fish, 5 people in a family in Ly Son island district, Quang Ngai province showed symptoms of poisoning.

The patient is being treated at Quang Ngai General Hospital.

Mr. Tran Van T. (40 years old, Tay An Vinh village, Ly Son island district) is one of the 5 people who were poisoned. He said that on the evening of May 2, a family of 12 people had dinner together, including puffer fish. A few hours after eating, 5 people had stomachaches, vomited, and had diarrhea. On the morning of May 3, family members took the 5 people with stomachaches to the hospital in Ly Son. By the afternoon of the same day, all 5 people were taken to the mainland for treatment.

There are currently 4 people being treated at the Department of Internal Medicine, Quang Ngai General Hospital, namely Tran Thanh V. (68 years old), Phan Thi V. (39 years old), Duong Thi E. (67 years old) and Mr. T.. A 14-year-old child is being treated at the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Quang Ngai Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. After 1 day of treatment, the symptoms of poisoning still persist, so they need to continue to be monitored and cared for at the hospital.

Doctor Pham Trung Hieu - Department of Internal Medicine, Quang Ngai General Hospital, said that puffer fish contain a poison called Tetrodotoxin. This is an extremely toxic neurotoxin, more than 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide. Normally, it exists in fish in the form of the non-toxic prototoxin Tetrodomin; but when the fish is spoiled or impacted, the prototoxin Tetrodomin will transform into a toxic substance.

Puffer fish have very high Tetrodotoxin toxicity.

People who eat puffer fish with the toxin Tetrodotoxin will experience itching in the mouth, lips, and tongue after 5 minutes to 3-4 hours. Then they will feel tired, dizzy, lightheaded, feel like their chest is constricted, sweat, drool, foam at the mouth, have difficulty speaking, swallowing, have a red face, have abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, tremors, stiff jaw, stiff tongue, weak lower limbs, constricted pupils, and paralysis of eye movement.

Severe cases include paralysis of the whole body, the body becomes limp, the limbs lose the ability to move, the skin turns purple, the temperature and blood pressure drop, difficulty breathing, and eventually paralysis of the respiratory muscles, cardiovascular collapse, and death. The mortality rate is very high if emergency treatment is delayed. The cause of death from pufferfish poisoning is paralysis of the respiratory muscles and hypotension.

According to NGUYEN TRANG (SGGP)

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/suc-khoe/5-nguoi-bi-ngo-doc-sau-khi-an-ca-noc-tai-dao-ly-son-122106.aspx