Regarding the case of 6 people being poisoned by puffer fish in Binh Thanh commune, Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province, with 1 person dying, on January 9, the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, Binh Thuan General Hospital said that currently 5 patients in the case are being treated and showing signs of good recovery.
Of these, 4 patients improved well and were transferred to the Internal Medicine Department for further monitoring and treatment and are expected to be discharged in about a week. The remaining patient, whose condition was more severe, continued to be treated in the Intensive Care and Anti-Poison Department.
As Lao Dong reported, at noon on January 5, 6 people ate a dish of yellow puffer fish that was prepared in a stew. This puffer fish was caught and brought back by a person in the group that went to sea. At 3 p.m. the same day, one person had symptoms of numbness in the tip of the tongue, numbness in the hands, and weakness in half of the lower body and was taken to Tuy Phong District Medical Center for emergency treatment. The remaining people with similar symptoms were then taken to the emergency room, a total of 6 people.
After that, all were transferred to Bac Binh Thuan General Hospital. By the evening of the same day, 1 person died at the hospital and the remaining 5 were transferred to Binh Thuan General Hospital for further treatment.
After the incident, the Binh Thuan Provincial Department of Health directed the Food Safety and Hygiene Department to coordinate with the Tuy Phong District Health Center to investigate food poisoning and collect samples of suspected food. However, at the time of investigation, there were no food samples left, as the patient's family reported that they had eaten it all.
Mr. Chi Trong - a fisherman who specializes in catching seafood near shore in Tuy Phong district - advises people not to eat puffer fish because there are many types of puffer fish, some are highly toxic, some are less toxic but still poisonous, leading to many risks when eaten.
Puffer fish are known to contain the highly lethal toxin tetrodotoxin. High temperatures cannot destroy this toxin. The toxicity of puffer fish varies between species, body parts, and varies by season, geographic region, and developmental stage.
According to doctors at Binh Thuan General Hospital, the tetrodotoxin in puffer fish is an extremely dangerous substance. When puffer fish is eaten, the toxin will spread very quickly. Within the first 3 hours, symptoms of poisoning will appear. Depending on the amount of toxin entering the body, the progression may be different. Severe cases will progress very quickly, leading to cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest and death. Therefore, people should not eat puffer fish as the only way to prevent puffer fish poisoning.
Regarding this poisoning case, the Binh Thuan Department of Health requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and localities to coordinate in advising fishermen to absolutely not catch puffer fish and to immediately remove any puffer fish mixed with the seafood they catch. People are not allowed to collect, transport, buy, sell, process, or consume puffer fish.
If pufferfish is found during the processing of fish products, the processor must immediately remove it. Seafood businesses commit to not buying, selling, processing, or consuming pufferfish in any form.
Consumers also need to raise awareness of the act of catching, processing, purchasing, or trading puffer fish for food.
