Frozen pufferfish fried at home sends island residents to ER with poisoning
Creatrip Team
7 months ago
Residents of a small island near Gunsan, South Korea, were hospitalized after sharing home-prepared fried pufferfish. Six people ate pufferfish (bokuh or fugu) that had been caught in 2023 and kept frozen; four people in their 60s–70s developed symptoms of tetrodotoxin poisoning—tongue numbness, dizziness and other paralysis signs—and were taken to a nearby hospital. None of the preparers had a certified pufferfish-handling license. Authorities warn that pufferfish (bokuh/fugu) contains tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent neurotoxin far stronger than cyanide, and urge people to only eat pufferfish prepared by licensed professionals. Officials are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.
