On Pemba Island near Zanzibar, eight children and a lady died after eating sea turtle flesh, a local delicacy. 78 individuals were hospitalized after the lunch, police said.
Chelonitoxism, a rare and deadly food disease caused by sea turtle flesh, killed the victims. Affected patients can only get supportive care as this ailment has no known cure.
Laboratory testing proved that all victims ate turtle meat on Tuesday, causing the tragedy. The mother of one of the children who died earlier in the week died on Friday.
Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous Tanzanian entity, sent a disaster management team to Pemba Island. The team leader, Hamza Hassan Juma, advised against eating marine turtles.
This tragedy is not new to the region. In November 2021, a three-year-old kid and six people died after eating turtle flesh on Pemba Island, with three others hospitalized.
Chelonitoxism causes nausea, vomiting, and mouth ulcers. Muscular weakness, partial paralysis, and agitation may cause comas in extreme situations.
This terrible episode highlights the risks of eating particular species, underlining the need for public knowledge and vigilance to prevent such tragedies.
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