JOHOR BARU: A woman has died while her husband is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), after they ate the puffer fish on Saturday.
Johor Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said at 3pm, some three hours after eating the fish, the 83-year-old woman started showing symptoms of shortness of breath and shivering. Her husband also experienced the same symptoms about one hour later.
"The couple were then taken to the Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital, Kluang by their children who live separately before the woman was pronounced dead at 7pm, the same day.
"The case is 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 said in a statement tonight.
Ling said it was understood that this was the first time that the couple, who lived in Jalan Sin Tiam Chamek, Kluang, ate the puffer fish-based dishes by getting the supply from a seller via Facebook.
However, he said that until now, no new report has been received regarding the case and said all the fish sold on that date had already been taken by the District Health Office (PKD) concerned for analysis.
"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 when choosing food especially if it has risks," said Ling. -- BERNAMA