Elderly woman in Johor dies after eating puffer fish, husband in ICU

JOHOR BAHRU: An 83-year-old woman in Kluang, Johor has died after eating puffer fish while her husband is still being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

According to state news agency Bernama, Johor Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon in a statement on Tuesday (Mar 28) said that the couple had bought the fish from an online seller on Facebook.

He said that it was the couple’s first time consuming puffer fish. 

According to Mr Ling, the couple ate the fish at around 3pm on Saturday before the elderly woman started shivering and experiencing shortness of breath. 

Her husband displayed the same symptoms an hour later. 

"The couple was taken to the Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital, Kluang by their children who live separately before the wife was pronounced dead at 7pm the same day,” Mr Ling was quoted as saying by Bernama. 

He added that their case has been classified as “food poisoning caused by puffer fish”. 

"In fact, the cause of death is given as 'food poisoning with neurological manifestation resulting in respiratory failure with cardiac dysrhythmia possibly due to ciguatera toxin or tetradotoxin ingestion' from the puffer fish," he reportedly said. 

Mr Ling added that no new report has been received regarding the case and that all the fish sold on that date has been taken by the District Health Office (PKD) for analysis.

"A total of 15 kilogrammes of the puffer fish were sold to four customers in Chamek and Paloh, including one in Yong Peng on that day.

"Apart from the couple, the other customers have not eaten their puffer fish yet,” Mr Ling was quoted as saying by Malay Mail. 

According to him, further investigation found that the fresh puffer fish was obtained from fishermen in Endau, Mersing before being taken by wholesalers to be processed in Batu Pahat and then distributed to customers based on orders. 

"I would like to remind the people of Johor to be careful in choosing food especially if it has risks," he said. 

Despite the poisonous nature of puffer fish, it is a delicacy in several countries and regions in Asia, including the Malaysian state of Sarawak. 

In 2017, local media reported that the Malaysian Health Ministry was considering a regulation to make the sale of pufferfish illegal unless it has been made safe first by “qualified persons”. 

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), puffer fish contain the deadly toxin tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin that may cause severe illness or death. The health agency said that the toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing.