Ha Van Trung, Vice Chairman of Phu Xuan Commune People's Committee, reported that on the afternoon of 27/5, a group of residents in Sa Lang village caught about 0,3 kg of stink bugs from wild eggplant trees growing along the Ma River. They prepared these insects for their dinner.

Stink bugs on eggplant trees caught by Phu Xuan commune residents for food. *Lam Son*

The six individuals who consumed the meal were Pham Ba Thong (60), Ha Duc Tang (42), Ha Van Nam (43), Pham Duc Tung (43), Ha Thi Quyet (36), and Cao Thi Linh (37).

The dinner also featured fried pork, stream fish soup with cherry tomatoes, homegrown pumpkin leaf soup, and store-bought alcohol, in addition to the stink bugs. Tang, Nam, and Tung consumed alcohol during the meal.

The next morning, Thong developed a stomachache, nausea, and headache, leading to his emergency admission to Quan Hoa General Hospital. On 29/5, Nam reported similar symptoms. Subsequently, the remaining four individuals experienced a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea, headache, neck and shoulder pain, and back pain.

Doctors at Quan Hoa General Hospital diagnosed the patients with food poisoning caused by toxic food, with the stink bug dish being the suspected source. All six patients have since been transferred to Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, and their health is now stable.

The Phu Xuan Commune People's Committee has directed its Commune Health Station to collaborate with relevant units in investigating the cause of the incident. Concurrently, they are enhancing public awareness efforts, urging residents to avoid hunting, preparing, or consuming insects such as stink bugs, unidentified worms, or animals of unknown origin as food to prevent health risks.

Le Hoang