A few days ago, a tragedy in Tanzania has occurred. Reports from The Guardian and other online news websites said that the incident happened in Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago when a group of locals died of food poisoning after eating turtle meat, specifically 8 children and 1 adult. Additionally, 78 others were in critical condition and were brought to local hospitals for treatment.
Mkoani district medical officer, Dr Haji Bakari, confirmed that laboratory tests have revealed that the deceased consumed turtle meat on Tuesday, the 5th of March. The cause of death is from a toxin present in turtle meat called “Chelonitoxism,” and a cure is unknown.
Although sea turtle meat is considered a delicacy in the islands of Tanzania, most contain the highly toxic Chelonitoxism, in which an antidote is still undiscovered. Patients who have the toxin suffer from itchy throat, vomiting, and diarrhea. Progression leads to insanity, paralysis, and even death.
The National Capital Poison Center, a non-profit organization in the United States, says that the sea turtles carrying the toxins may infect the consumer even if they are cooked, made into soup, or eaten raw, no matter what part is eaten. Incidences of Chelonitoxism food poisoning often occur in Indo-Pacific countries known for eating turtle meat, such as Madagascar, and the Philippines, among others.
In 2021, a similar situation occurred in Pemba Island, Tanzania, wherein a 3-year-old child died from eating turtle meat, and 3 others were hospitalized. The Zanzibar authorities quickly formed a disaster management team and informed the locals to avoid eating turtle meat and prevent similar incidences from happening again.
Images credits: © The Guardian
