On 2/8, Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, director of the center, confirmed the patients were diagnosed with ciguatera poisoning. This type of poisoning occurs after consuming reef fish that have accumulated ciguatoxin, a potent neurotoxin.
The first case involved a family of 4 from Hai Phong: a couple and their two children, aged 16 and 19. Between 1.5 and 4 hours after eating a pre-ordered red snapper dish, the entire family experienced stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle aches. The mother and daughter also experienced sensory disturbances.
"My hands felt burning, like an electric shock, whenever I touched cold water, and I was too weak to walk," the mother said. Upon admission to the hospital on 26/7, all 4 patients had slow heart rates. Their health has since improved, and they are nearing discharge.
Two days earlier, another family of 4 was admitted with a similar diagnosis after a trip to Ky Anh beach in Ha Tinh. Their dinner consisted of moray eel, shrimp, and oysters. A few hours later, they experienced numbness in their tongues and mouths, joint pain, and overall fatigue. After a day of intensive treatment, all 4 patients fully recovered and were discharged.
Dr. Nguyen warned that ciguatera poisoning is a more common food safety hazard than pufferfish poisoning, yet it receives less attention. The toxin originates from a type of algae and accumulates through the food chain in large reef fish such as barracuda, grouper, red snapper, and moray eel.
"The danger is that ciguatoxin is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and unaffected by any processing method, including cooking or freezing," Dr. Nguyen explained, adding that a contaminated fish can appear perfectly normal.
Symptoms typically appear within a few hours to a day after consumption, starting with digestive issues and progressing to neurological symptoms like numbness and tingling around the mouth. The most characteristic sign is a hot-cold sensory reversal, where touching cold water causes a sharp, electric shock-like pain. Poisoning can also lead to slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and life-threatening complications, while neurological after-effects can persist for months or even years.
Currently, there is no specific antidote, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms. Dr. Nguyen emphasized prevention as the most crucial measure. People should avoid consuming large quantities and the internal organs of high-risk reef fish. Suspected poisoning requires immediate medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility.
Le Nga
