Elderly Couple Dies After Unknowingly Eating Poisonous Pufferfish for Lunch in Malaysia
After consuming pufferfish on Mar. 25, a woman was pronounced dead shortly after she was hospitalized, while her husband, who was also treated, died weeks later
An elderly couple died after unknowingly buying and eating poisonous pufferfish in Malaysia, officials and family say.
Ng Chuan Sing and wife Lim Siew Guan, both in their 80s, purchased the fish from an online vendor on Mar. 25, reported CNN, citing authorities in Johor, a state in southern Malaysia.
Their daughter, Ng Ai Lee, said that her parents had bought fish from the same fishmonger "for many years so my father did not think twice about it," according to The Star, an English-language newspaper in Malaysia.
"He would not have knowingly bought something so deadly to eat and put their lives in danger," she added.
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After eating the fish for lunch later that day, Lim began having "breathing difficulties and shivers," authorities said, according to CNN. Her husband began experiencing similar symptoms about an hour later.
They were then taken to the hospital and Lim was pronounced dead at 7:00 p.m. local time, the outlet reported.
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Sing, who fell into a coma for eight days, died on Saturday, their daughter said during a press conference before her mother and father's funeral, per CNN.
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Pufferfish, also known as "fugu," are considered a delicacy and are most commonly served in high-end restaurants in Tokyo, per CNN, which reported that in Japan, chefs undergo extensive training before being licensed to prepare the fish.
Similar regulations do not exist in Malaysia, said Johor Health and Unity Committee official Ling Tian Soon, according to The Star.
Their organs, skin, blood and bones can all contain high concentrations of tetrodotoxin, a poison for which there's no known antidote, reported CNN.
Unless properly cleaned and prepared "the flesh of the fish will become contaminated" with the toxin, which "cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The F.D.A. warns that initial symptoms — which include tingling of the lips and mouth as well as dizziness — can start within 20 minutes of eating the fish.
Although the sale of poisonous foods, including pufferfish, is prohibited in Malaysia, experts said it is still sold at some wet markets, according to CNN.
The local state district health office has reportedly opened an investigation to identify the supplier, wholesaler and seller.
"We urge the public to be careful when choosing their food, especially if it has known risks," Ling said in a statement, the outlet reported.
Since 1985, there have been 58 instances of poisoning involving pufferfish consumption, including 18 deaths, the outlet reported, citing the Malaysian health ministry.
"Those responsible for their deaths should be held accountable," their daughter said, per CNN. "I also hope the Malaysian government will beef up enforcement and help to raise public awareness on pufferfish poisoning to prevent such incidents from happening again."
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