On February 19, the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) sent a document to the Quang Ninh Provincial Department of Health requesting urgent verification, investigation and handling of a suspected food poisoning case related to eating pufferfish, causing 2 people to be hospitalized for emergency treatment.
According to information received by the Food Safety Department on February 18, 2026, Quang Ninh province recorded 2 suspected cases of food poisoning after eating pufferfish. Patients showed symptoms of numbness in the tongue, lips, hands and feet and gradually increased shortness of breath, and are currently being treated and treated at Quang Ninh Provincial General Hospital.
Faced with the above developments, the Food Safety Department requested the Quang Ninh Department of Health to direct specialized units to immediately implement necessary measures to ensure the safety of patients' lives and prevent similar cases.
The Food Safety Department requests the Provincial Sub-Department of Food Safety and Hygiene to closely coordinate with Quang Ninh Provincial General Hospital to organize active treatment for patients. In necessary cases, it is necessary to connect inter-hospital consultations and seek professional opinions from upper-level hospitals for timely support.
In parallel with treatment, relevant units must urgently verify and investigate the incident, clarifying the main cause of poisoning. Monitoring and supervising the diễn biến of the poisoning incident needs to be carried out continuously to detect early and handle promptly if more cases appear.
The Food Safety Department also emphasized the requirement to promote propaganda and education for people about food safety knowledge and skills, especially for traditional foods or according to local customs. People are advised not to eat wild animals or strange seafood when they do not know clearly the origin and safe processing methods.
In case after eating seafood, signs such as numb lips, tongue, spreading to limbs, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea... appear, it is necessary to contact the nearest medical facility immediately for timely emergency care," the document stated.
In addition, the Quang Ninh Department of Health is required to strengthen inspection and supervision of food safety at small-scale food production, business, and processing establishments and street food business points, ensuring safety conditions when food circulates in the market.
The Food Safety Department also requested localities to continue to maintain the implementation of the contents of the Plan to ensure food safety for the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival 2026, along with directives related to food poisoning prevention.
The results of the investigation of the case and the health status of the patients must be reported and updated to the Food Safety Department according to regulations.
Pufferfish is a seafood containing extremely strong toxins (tetrodotoxin), which can cause neurasthenia, respiratory failure and death if not treated promptly. The Ministry of Health has repeatedly warned people to absolutely not use pufferfish as food in any form.
