Eight children and an adult have died after eating sea turtle meat on Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, and 78 other people have been taken to hospital, authorities said on Saturday.
Sea turtle meat is considered a delicacy in Zanzibar but it periodically results in deaths from chelonitoxism, a type of food poisoning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelonitoxism
Chelonitoxism or chelonitoxication is a type of food poisoning which occasionally results from eating turtles, particularly marine turtles, in the region of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.[1][2] It is considered rare.[3]
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Chelonitoxism can be deadly, and supportive treatment is the only treatment available; there is no known antidote.[4][5]
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Symptoms of chelonitoxism begin to show up within hours to a week following ingestion of turtle meat which has not been repeatedly parboiled.[2]
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Research on the biochemistry of both poisonous turtle tissues and tissues of turtle poisoning patients is scant…
Damn that’s crazy. I’m not surprised by the lack of research though. It’s not something you hear about people eating often.
TIL Turtle meat can and has been deadly. Dang.
I chortle in mock turtle soup knowing I am untouchable. /s
This is why you have a food tester. Have them eat the turtle first. /s
