Suspected pufferfish poisoning leaves 2 Hong Kong men in hospital
One man is in a critical condition and the other is stable after eating a pufferfish they caught themselves
Two men in Hong Kong are suspected to have been poisoned after eating a pufferfish they caught themselves, with one in a critical condition.
The Centre for Health Protection said on Friday that the two men, aged 44 and 50, developed limb and peroral weakness and shortness of breath about four hours after consuming the cooked pufferfish on Thursday.
Initial investigations found that the pair had previously eaten pufferfish they had caught, and the consumption of poisonous pufferfish handled improperly was believed to have caused the latest incident, according to the centre.
The men attended the accident and emergency department of Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam on Thursday before being admitted for treatment.
One was in a critical condition, and the other was stable, the centre said.
“Consumption of pufferfish is the main cause of food poisoning from tetrodotoxin, which is a potent water-soluble neurotoxin that can affect the central nervous system,” a spokesman of the centre said.
