Another person poisoned by puffer fish

Monday, October 01, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Another person died from eating puffer fish (Trey Kampot), after the death of a 13-year-old boy from puffer fish poisoning at the end of last week. The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper quoted Kim Sarith, director of the fisheries department in the province of Takeo, who said that 2 persons died after eating salted puffer fish imported from Vietnam, and the number of people hospitalized amounted to 34. Most of the victims are living in Kirivong and Treang districts. Touch Seang Tana, a member of the investigation team of the finance, social, and cultural department of the Council of Ministers, said that, based on preliminary investigation, the puffer fish poisoning could originate from the use of chemical insecticide sprayed on the fish to prevent flies from depositing their eggs on the fish. The amount of insecticide used may be too high, and the fish was not dried properly, therefore the insecticide is still very strong in the fish. The Takeo province fisheries and Cam Control departments have confiscated 35 kilograms of salted puffer fish from all areas of the province, they will be destroyed.

2 Cambodians die after eating puffer fish, prompting trade ban of the deadly meat

Sunday, September 30, 2007
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A Cambodian provincial authority has banned the trade of puffer fish meat suspected to have caused the deaths of two villagers recently, a police official said Sunday.

A 23-year-old man died Saturday, and a 13-year-old boy early last week, after both villagers ate salted puffer fish, Suon Phon, deputy police chief of Takeo province, said.

He said the fish was imported from neighboring Vietnam and sold in rural markets in the province, about 90 kilometers (56 miles), south of the capital Phnom Penh.

In the wake of the two deaths, Takeo province governor Srey Ben, banned the trade of the fish across the province to prevent further fatalities, Suon Phon said.

The ovaries, liver and intestines of the puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, a poison so potent that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it can "produce rapid and violent death."

One Cambodian dead, 12 hospitalized with puffer fish poisoning

Fri, 28 Sep 2007
DPA

Phnom Penh - One Cambodian child was dead and 12 members of two more families were in hospital after they lunched on dried puffer fish, or blow fish, police said Friday. Deputy chief of Takeo province, Soun Thon, said 13-year-old Khieu Channrith died shortly after eating dried puffer fish from neighbouring Vietnam. Takeo lies about 80 kilometres south of the capital.

Channrith's grandfather, both parents and three visiting relatives were in a serious but stable condition in hospital, Thon said, adding that another entire family of six had also been hospitalized the same day, apparently after eating fish from the same shipment.

Despite the fish containing potentially deadly toxins, dried puffer fish is a common snack in Cambodia. Unlike in Japan, where the fish is an expensive delicacy, in Cambodia the meat is usually eaten by poorer families.