Poisoning and muscle paralysis after eating fried stink bugs

Talking to the doctor, a patient said that at noon on June 29, all 5 people (all men - PV) caught 0.7 kg of stink bugs in the field, then roasted them and ate them for lunch (around 12 o'clock).

At about 3:00 p.m. the same day, all of them had symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and body aches and pains, and were taken to Ninh Binh Provincial General Hospital by their families.

The stink bug sample was sent by the patient to the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital. Stink bugs pose a risk of parasitic and fungal infections that can be transmitted to humans.

Of the 5 patients, 2 were patients 38 and 39 years old who were severely poisoned, suffered from paralysis of intercostal muscles and respiratory muscles, and had difficulty breathing. They were transferred by doctors from Ninh Binh General Hospital to the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital ( Hanoi ) for treatment. Of these, the 38-year-old patient had to be put on a ventilator.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, these two patients were admitted to the Poison Control Center in a conscious state but both had intercostal muscle paralysis, severe muscle damage, rhabdomyolysis (muscle destruction caused by toxins causing muscle damage), and respiratory muscle paralysis.

The two patients were treated intensively, given detoxifying drugs to avoid kidney failure. After treatment, the two patients recovered. The most seriously ill patient was discharged on July 7. The patient who was treated at the same time was discharged earlier, on July 5.

"We probably ate so much we couldn't count, because these stink bugs were small and roasted, weighing 700g, only enough for 5 people to eat," a patient recounted after recovering.

Doctor Nguyen said that, initially, the stink bug that the patients ate and were poisoned by was the fabric stink bug, with the scientific name Agonoscelis nubilis. Currently, the toxic substances in this stink bug have not been fully determined.

5 people were poisoned and paralyzed after eating fried stink bugs.

High risk of disease-carrying insects

However, the above poisoning cases are not the first time. In 2021, the Poison Control Center also received 6 people in a family in Yen Thuy District (Hoa Binh) who were poisoned after eating about 0.5 kg of fried stink bugs. After eating, the whole family was hospitalized due to abdominal pain, nausea, and body aches.

According to Dr. Nguyen, there are many species of stink bugs, many of which may have toxins that have not yet been fully evaluated. In addition, even if the animal is not poisonous, it still has a very high risk of carrying pathogens and transmitting diseases to humans (such as parasites, bacteria, viruses).

Medical information on the toxicity of insects and stink bugs is currently limited. Therefore, there are very few species of insects and stink bugs that have been scientifically proven to be safe to eat. In the community as well as doctors, it is difficult to identify to determine the specific species of stink bugs and it is very easy to confuse.

"In cases of poisoning from eating worms or bugs, doctors will have a lot of difficulty diagnosing and treating you, which means your fate is at risk," Dr. Nguyen noted.

Poison control experts advise that, to prevent poisoning and disease, in addition to a few types of insects that are clearly known to be edible (e.g. silkworm pupae), people should not use strange or uncertain creatures as food regardless of how they are prepared.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/ngo-doc-liet-co-sau-khi-an-bo-xit-rang-185230707213158296.htm