Men after puffer consumption very ill

Five men seriously ill after puffer fish consumption

03/03/2015

Guests at a Japanese restaurant had asked to be served with the poisonous liver of puffer fish. For the five men, this request did not end well. After eating, they became seriously ill. The consumption of this food is subject to very strict conditions because of the danger of poisoning.

Dangerous delicacy puffer fish
After enjoying the dangerous delicacy Kugelfisch five guests of a Japanese restaurant are seriously ill, according to news agency AFP. According to a representative of the city administration said on Monday, all five men had suffered from respiratory distress and severe nausea hours after the visit to the weekend restaurant in Wakayama, Western Japan. The restaurant claims to have served the poisonous liver of pufferfish at the express request of its customers.

Consumption can lead to death within hours
The restaurant was shut down by the authorities for a week in response to the incident. The neurotoxin, which is contained in the Japanese specialty, also called Fugu, can lead to a special form of fish poisoning. First symptoms include numbness in the mouth, increased sweating, dizziness or headache. Over time, the numbness will migrate, leading to numbness in the legs and other limbs. Often, the digestive tract is affected, which may manifest in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes it comes to severe chest pain and Blauchucht. The poisoning can also be fatal. For example, the consumption of an untreated fish can lead to death within four to six hours, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Cooks need several years of training
But Fugu fans rave about the tingling that caused the strong poison on the lips. According to German law Fugu must not be imported into Germany for consumption. In Japan, cooks in a multi-year training have to learn to differentiate the toxic parts from the harmless ones in order to serve the fish. Even though it is limited by fatalities thanks to the strict regulations, it happens again and again that Fugu lovers with symptoms of intoxication have to go to hospital. The problem is not only in East Asia. Last October, an eleven-member family was reported in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, suffering from severe paralysis and other complaints after enjoying the puffer fish. (Ad)

Picture: Niki Vogt