A Brazilian man, Magno Sergio Gomes, died after consuming a toxic pufferfish, known to be 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide.
He and a friend ate the fish, leading to severe illness within an hour.
Gomes suffered cardiac arrest and subsequently died from poisoning that affected his brain.
“Magno started to feel numb in his mouth, then he went with his wife to the hospital, driving his car,” Myrian Lopes said.
“When he got there, his mouth was even more numb, and he felt sick. Soon after, he had a cardiac arrest that lasted eight minutes.”
“The doctors told our family that he died from poisoning, which had quickly traveled to his head,” Lopes said.
“Three days after being admitted, he had several seizures, which greatly affected his brain, leaving little chance of recovery.”
Pufferfish contain deadly toxins causing symptoms like numbness, dizziness, paralysis, and can be fatal.
The commercial importation of pufferfish into the U.S. is heavily restricted due to the potential health hazard.
“These are central nervous system toxins and are more deadly than cyanide,” the FDA says.
“Symptoms start within 20 minutes to two hours after eating the toxic fish. Initial symptoms include tingling of the lips and mouth, followed by dizziness, tingling in the extremities, problems with speaking, balance, muscle weakness and paralysis, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe intoxications, death can result from respiratory paralysis.”
Despite the dangers, pufferfish are considered a delicacy in some cultures.
