Chelonitoxism in Andaman and Nicobar Island: A report on mass poisoning including a death of an adult.
Chelonitoxism is a type of seafood poisoning which usually occurs due to consumption of certain marine turtle flesh. As the pharmacology or chemistry of the toxin is still unknown, antidote or treatment to chelonitoxism is unavailable. The symptoms can vary from common gastro-intestinal symptoms to neurological manifestations and even death. This case report of community poisoning following consumption of turtle meat includes the death of an adult male (56 yrs.) being reported for the first time in the Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands, India in August 2012. The patient encountered common gastrointestinal symptoms after one day of ingestion of green turtle flesh and later, he developed neurological symptoms and did not respond to symptomatic treatment and expired after four days after the consumption. However, out of 30 villagers who took the same food, six others developed symptoms and recovered within a period of 3-7 days while two pets (a dog and a cat) died within 24 hours as they were fed with the same food. In spite of several existing wildlife protection acts, catching a turtle and making them a source of food-celebration is quite common in coastal areas of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal which includes A&N Islands. A proper monitoring and follow-up of the food-borne diseases along with a wide range of explorative health education protocol should be implemented especially for the people who are not reachable via media to avoid such incidents in future.
GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair, A&N Island, India.
S S
SS
Singh
Andaman and Nicobar Institute of Medical Sciences, Port Blair, A&N Islands, India. Electronic address: drkbashok@ymail.com.
Ashok Kumar
AK
Biswas
Primary Health Centre, Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar, India.
P
P
Shirley
Regional Medical Research Center, Port Blair, A&N Islands, India.
Paluru
P
Vijayachari
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D002415:Cats; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004285:Dogs; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007195:Indian Ocean Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D057805:Pets; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014426:Turtles; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
D008387:Marine Toxins
Andaman and Nicobar Island; Chelonitoxin; Chelonitoxism; Seafood poisoning; The Bay of Bengal; Turtle flesh poisoning; Turtle poisoning