8 people poisoned by puffer fish are out of danger

(Baonghean.vn) - On October 25, in Hamlet 4, My Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, there was a case of puffer fish poisoning, with 8 people poisoned, of which 6 had to be hospitalized for treatment... Thanks to active and timely treatment, 5 people have been discharged from the hospital, the remaining person has also overcome the critical stage.

On October 25, Mr. Ho Sy Hai (born in 1974, in hamlet 4, My Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) took his daughter to Dien Chau district to buy 16kg of fresh fish. After buying, Mr. Hai distributed a little to each familiar family. There was a fish weighing about 1.1kg (most likely a puffer fish) that Mr. Hai prepared to eat. For dinner, in addition to family members, Mr. Hai invited Mr. Nguyen Dinh Huy (born in 1984) and Mr. Nguyen Cong Lam (born in 1970) from the same commune to eat with him.

After finishing the meal, at around 6:55 p.m. the same day, Nguyen Cong Lam showed symptoms of difficulty breathing, purple lips, numbness in the extremities, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hand tremors, and dizziness. The remaining 7 people also showed similar symptoms. At 7 p.m., all 8 people were taken to My Thanh Commune Health Station for emergency treatment, then transferred to Yen Thanh District General Hospital for treatment. There were 3 people with severe poisoning who were transferred directly to the Provincial General Hospital.

Thanks to timely emergency care, all patients have now overcome the critical stage and are gradually recovering. On the morning of October 27, the most seriously ill patient, Mr. Nguyen Cong Lam, also regained consciousness.

After receiving intensive treatment from doctors, 5 people with mild poisoning treated at Yen Thanh District General Hospital have recovered and been discharged; 3 people with severe poisoning treated at the Provincial General Hospital have also overcome the critical stage. The most severely poisoned person, Mr. Nguyen Cong Lam (who ate the fish liver), has also regained consciousness this morning.

Immediately after the poisoning incident, Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department sent investigators to collect samples, conduct tests, and determine the cause of the incident...

It is known that this is the second puffer fish poisoning case recorded in Nghe An province since the beginning of the year. The first poisoning case occurred on January 24, 2015 in Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town with 5 people infected.

Officers of Nghe An Food Safety Department investigated and gathered information about the puffer fish poisoning case.

Puffer fish, also known as Puffer fish, Balloon fish, Fugu, is a type of fish that contains the poison Tetrodotoxin. Tetrodotoxin is a non-protein poison, soluble in water and not destroyed by boiling or drying. The poison is inactivated in strong acid and alkaline environments. Tetrodotoxin is concentrated in fish eggs, intestines, liver and testicles.

Symptoms of puffer fish poisoning usually appear 10-30 minutes after eating, such as numbness in the mouth, tongue, lips, headache, vomiting, difficulty speaking, numbness in fingers, hands and feet, weakness and fatigue, death due to respiratory muscle paralysis or acute circulatory failure. Other signs: slow heart rate, arrhythmia, low blood pressure, low temperature, increased salivation, cyanosis, respiratory arrest, loss of tendon reflexes and muscle tone.

The severity of puffer fish poisoning depends on the amount of toxin and the time of emergency treatment: If the patient has mild symptoms, they can be monitored and recovered; If the symptoms are clear and not purple, initial emergency treatment and resuscitation can save the patient within 24 hours; If the lack of oxygen lasts for a long time and the patient is not given initial emergency treatment, complications or death can occur....

The best prevention is to not eat puffer fish and have a first aid kit handy.

Tu Thanh - Thanh Son