5 fishermen were poisoned after eating puffer fish

On January 6, a representative of the People’s Committee of Binh Thanh commune, Tuy Phong district, said that yesterday afternoon, Mr. Do Van Luom, 30 years old, caught a puffer fish at sea and brought it home with his father, Mr. Do Gan, 57 years old, in Village 3, Binh Thanh commune, processed into dishes. The father and son and 3 other fishermen ate this fish dish together. At around 3:00 p.m., they went to the fishing boat anchored at sea to prepare to go fishing when they began to have symptoms of numb tongue, purple face, difficulty breathing, and were brought to shore by their colleagues using a basket boat.

5 people were taken to the Tuy Phong District Medical Center for emergency treatment. The doctor diagnosed severe poisoning from eating puffer fish so they transferred them to a higher level. At around 9:00 p.m. the same day, Mr. Han Anh Tuan, 50 years old, died at Bac Binh Thuan Regional General Hospital (Bac Binh district).

The remaining four people were transferred to Binh Thuan General Hospital (Phan Thiet City) for treatment. By this morning they were awake and continuing treatment.

Jackfruit puffer fish is about 10-20 cm long, has a large head and belly, short fins, and black stripes on its back. They carry the toxin tetrodotoxin, which is very dangerous for the nervous system and can lead to death when eaten.

Local authorities in recent years have continuously warned people not to eat puffer fish. However, this type of fish is considered a specialty dish, with chewy white meat that is tastier than many other types of fish, so some coastal fishermen still prepare it and eat it, leading to poisoning.