The cause of the poisoning that sent 7 people in Nghe An to the emergency room has been found.

On October 25, Mr. Pham Ngoc Quy - Head of Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department said that the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Control had a document responding to the test results determining the cause of poisoning that caused 7 people to be hospitalized for emergency treatment.occurred on October 14 in Do Luong district.

According to the National Institute for Food Safety Control, the unit received 2 samples of tree trunks (unknown type) including (1 fresh, untreated sample and 1 stem sample that had been boiled to get water) collected by the Nghe An Food Safety Department during the investigation process. The test results detected Gelsamin and Koumine in these 2 tree trunk samples, which are substances belonging to the Alkaloid group commonly found in the Aconite plant.

Based on the above test results and previous investigation results, the Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department determined that the cause of poisoning was due to the use of water boiled from the poisonous stems of the aconite plant. This unit requested the Health Department and the Medical Center of Do Luong district to advise the district People's Committee to direct relevant units to strengthen propaganda work to the people and workers in camps and forests about the selection and use of safe food. Absolutely do not use aconite plants and plants and animals of unknown species and unknown uses. At the same time, take measures to eliminate toxic plants.

The tree the group of men used to boil water to drink is the aconite plant. Photo: TH

Previously, a group of men aged 31 to 51 (all residing in My Tan commune, Ngoc Lac district, Thanh Hoa province) went to work in the forest in Thai Son commune, Do Luong district. During nearly a week of work, this group of 8 people took tree trunks (unknown type) and cut them into small pieces to boil with water to drink and had no strange symptoms. However, on the afternoon of October 14, because the number of sliced ​​tree trunks was small, they took another tree trunk (unknown type) to boil together and then took the water to drink, and then had symptoms of headache, dizziness, and nausea.

After symptoms appeared, the group of 7 people were taken to Thai Son Commune Health Station for emergency treatment. Do Luong District General Hospital received 7 patients with headaches, dizziness, nausea, diagnosed with poisoning due to unidentified substances, treated with gastric lavage, intravenous fluids and transferred to Nghe An General Hospital. The patients are currently in stable health and have been discharged./.