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Published on January 16, 2008

The three patients - suffering nausea, diarrhoea, weak muscles, and numb fingers - were admitted to Ban Khai Hospital after eating somtam mixed with fermented puffer fish two days ago.

As the patients were recovering in hospital, Rayong public health expert Dr Krit Palasuth told a meeting at Ban Khai Hospital the fermented puffer fish had been ground up, which spread toxins all over the papaya salad. This caused the villagers to suffer tretodotoxin poisoning.

Officials were now alerting the public to refrain from eating puffer fish.

Krit said officials had found four boxes of fermented fish in a grocery shop in Nong Krun Market and sent the fish that remained at the shop to a lab for testing.

One of the victims, Somjai Seutrong, 48, said she went to buy fermented fish from the shop on Saturday afternoon for her neighbour Bung-orn Chujaras, 42, to cook papaya salad for them, along with Bung-orn's 20-year-old daughter Omara Angkaew and Somjai's nieces and nephews.

She said the skin of the fish resembling toad skin. After the meal she felt nauseous, had weak muscles and numb fingers so she drank soda water to cleanse her stomach. Somjai then alerted those who had shared the meal to do the same.

However, her condition did not improve on Sunday so she went to the hospital the next day.

Bung-orn said they at first suspected they had eaten a toad, as they all felt dizzy after eating the salad.

Even the children felt sick although they only ate a dish of fermented fish diluted with water.

Rayong

The Nation