ABSTRACT
Toxicity of the freshwater puffer Tetraodon fangi and T. palembangensis from Amphur Chumpuang, Nakorn Ratchasima Province, Thailand (where food poisoning due to T. fangi recently occurred) was monitored from December 1988 through October 1989. The puffer were toxic throughout most of the year. There was marked variation in amounts of toxins among individuals and with the time of collection. The highest toxicity levels for T. fangi were found in skin (813 mouse units per g) following by eggs (336), muscle (331), liver (209) and intestine (159). Corresponding values for T. palembangensis were 907, 332, 282, 225 and 143 mouse units/g, respectively.
Subject(s)
Fishes, Poisonous , Foodborne Diseases/etiology , Tetrodotoxin/toxicity , Animals , Female , Mice , ThailandABSTRACT
In October 1988, food poisoning due to the freshwater puffer Tetraodon fangi occurred. Six out of eight people who consumed spicy soup (Tom Yam) of puffer developed clinical signs of tetrodotoxin intoxication. The incubation period varied from 30 min to 3 hr and there were no deaths. Puffers were collected one week after the occurrence of the food poisoning and their content of toxin was determined. All organs of puffer were toxic with skin having the highest toxicity followed by gonad, muscle, liver and intestine.
