Elderly Couple in Their 80s Eat Fish Bought at Store
Experience Poisoning and Respiratory Distress, Eventually Pass Away
CNN Mentions Korea as a Country Where Pufferfish Is Popular
An elderly couple in Malaysia died after eating fried pufferfish. The cause was the deadly poison contained in the pufferfish. Their daughter urged the government to introduce regulations on the sale and purchase of pufferfish, saying, "Such tragedies must not be repeated."
On the 10th (local time), the US CNN reported that an elderly couple in their 80s living in Johor state in southwestern Malaysia died after eating two pufferfish they purchased from a fish shop on the 25th of last month. The couple fried the pufferfish and ate it for lunch, but shortly after, they showed symptoms such as difficulty breathing and tremors and were taken to the hospital.
The wife was declared dead that evening, and the husband, who had been in a coma for over a week, eventually followed her. It is known that the couple did not realize that the fish they had bought was pufferfish.
Under Malaysian law, the sale of toxic foods such as pufferfish is prohibited. However, they can be easily found in seafood markets. In fact, more than 30 species of pufferfish have been discovered in nearby waters. They are popular among gourmets for their unique flavor.
The problem is that the internal organs and eggs contain the deadly toxin tetrodotoxin. Even a small amount can cause vomiting, paralysis, and respiratory distress, leading to death. Moreover, there is no antidote.
Daughter of Elderly Couple Urges "Strict Regulations on Sales"
The internal organs and eggs of pufferfish contain the deadly toxin 'tetrodotoxin.' [Photo by Asia Economy DB]
From 1985 to this year, there have been a total of 58 cases of pufferfish poisoning in Malaysia, resulting in 18 deaths.
The couple’s daughter, Ali, held a press conference before the funeral, stating, "The government must strengthen crackdowns and raise public awareness about pufferfish poisoning." She also said that before her father passed away, he briefly woke from his coma and asked about her mother’s condition. Although the family lied that she was "safe," Ali added that her father seemed to sense otherwise.
Ali mourned the sudden loss of her parents and demanded, "Those responsible must be held accountable under the law. I ask the government to help ensure that such incidents never happen again."
The Malaysian government is investigating the sellers of the pufferfish. Marine biologist Aileen Tan told CNN, "When pufferfish is cleaned and sold in pieces, the general public cannot recognize what kind of fish it is. The risks of consuming pufferfish need to be more widely known."
In the report, CNN also mentioned South Korea along with Japan and Singapore as countries where pufferfish is popular. It explained that "restaurants specializing in pufferfish operate in South Korea."
South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act allows only those with nationally certified qualifications to prepare pufferfish. However, accidents sometimes occur due to unqualified individuals handling pufferfish. In February, three crew members who ate pufferfish caught during fishing off Jeju were hospitalized with paralysis symptoms due to poisoning.
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