A man from Brazil lost his life after consuming a deadly pufferfish gifted to him by a friend. The pufferfish is considered a delicacy in various regions globally and is infamous for harbouring a toxin more potent than many poisons. The proper cleaning and cooking methods for this fish are crucial. According to reports, the deceased had no prior experience in cleaning pufferfish, which led to the tragic incident.
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The incident took place over the weekend in Aracruz, Espirito Santa. The man named Magno Sergio Gomes and his friend cleaned the fish, boiled it, and ate it with lemon juice. Within an hour of ingestion, they both fell severely ill and experienced numbness in the mouth. Sergio, realizing the severity of the situation, drove himself to the hospital, where he suffered an 8-minute cardiac arrest, reported the New York Post.
The cause of Sergio’s death was determined to be tetrodotoxin, a potent poison found in the liver and gonads of pufferfish and other marine species. It is utilized by blowfish against predators and is more than 1,000 times deadlier than cyanide, and lacks a known antidote.
Despite medical intervention, including intubation and life support, Sergio showed no signs of recovery and succumbed to the poisoning after 35 days. “The doctors told our family that he died from poisoning, which had quickly travelled to his head. Three days after being admitted, he had several seizures, which greatly affected his brain, leaving little chance of recovery,” the New York Post quoted Sergio’s sister.
{{/usCountry}}Despite medical intervention, including intubation and life support, Sergio showed no signs of recovery and succumbed to the poisoning after 35 days. “The doctors told our family that he died from poisoning, which had quickly travelled to his head. Three days after being admitted, he had several seizures, which greatly affected his brain, leaving little chance of recovery,” the New York Post quoted Sergio’s sister.
{{/usCountry}}Sergio’s friend, however, survived this tragic incident but has been struggling with mobility.
According to a report in The Science Times, pufferfish has over 120 species worldwide and mainly inhabit subtropical and tropical ocean waters. Brazil has 20 species of pufferfish, nearly all carrying the potent toxin. Interestingly, Japan has a delicacy called fugu, a raw pufferfish dish, but only licensed chefs are permitted to prepare it.