Massive turtle meat poisoning in Zanzibar: eight dead, 78 hospitalized

Eight children died and 78 people were hospitalized after eating a sea turtle on Panza Island. This is the Southern Pemba region of Zanzibar. Local journalists write about it , UNN reports.

We brought 86 people to Abdullah Mzee Mkoani Hospital, eight of whom were children who had already died. The rest are in stable condition. We are awaiting laboratory results to confirm the source of the incident.

Details

District doctor Haji Bakari said yesterday that the incident occurred on the island on March 5. Eighty-six patients were taken to the hospital with suspected poisoning, eight of whom have already died.

According to the doctor, at first the patients did not want to explain what was causing their illness. Therefore, the doctors took test samples and sent them to the laboratory for further investigation to determine the cause of the problem.

Dr. Haji noted that  deaths due to the consumption of turtle meat in Zanzibar have been recorded before. In 2021, seven people were hospitalized with similar symptoms and died, including a three-year-old child.

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Despite the fact that turtle meat is considered a delicacy among the inhabitants of the islands and coastal areas of Tanzania, the authorities have banned its consumption due to the risk of toxicity.

For reference

Chelonitoxicity, a type of food poisoning, can make turtle meat toxic. It is believed that this is due to the poisonous algae that turtles eat.

Studies show that this poisoning can have severe consequences for children and the elderly. While healthy adults may not be affected.

Fatalities related to the consumption of turtle meat have been reported in other parts of the world, including Madagascar. There, 19 people died, including nine children. Similar incidents have also occurred in Indonesia, Micronesia, and the Indian Ocean islands in India.