![]() ![]() ![]() In several cases, people died within 17 minutes after eating pufferfish. In severe cases, ataxia (the inability to coordinate the movements of muscles), muscle weakness, hypotension (low blood pressure) and cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) may develop, followed by muscle twitching and respiratory paralysis, and death can occur. These symptoms usually occur 30 minutes to two hours after ingestion of the fish, depending on the amount of toxin ingested. The most common symptoms of fugu poisioning are tingling and burning of the mouth and tongue, numbness, drowsiness, and incoherent speech. The experience is expensive, however, since a plate of this delicacy can cost as much as $500. For this reason, eating fugu is considered an "experience," rather than just a meal in Japan. Part of the reported delight in eating fugu is the tingling oral sensation induced by minute amounts of tetrodotoxin in the flesh. The flesh of the fugu is generally eaten raw in paper-thin slices, known as sashimi. For these fish, tetrodotoxin may serve as a natural defense mechanism to repel predators. The fish appear to actively produce the toxin, rather than passively acquire it from the environment. Scientists have found that toxic fugu have unique exocrine glands for the secretion of tetrodotoxin. Fugu are found in waters throughout the world. In journals covering expeditions from 1772 –1775, Pacific explorer Captain James Cook provided a vivid description of what some believe to be puffer fish poisoning. Artifacts recovered from an Egyptian tomb indicate that puffer fish poisoning has been known since approximately 2400 –2700 B.C. The dangers of puffer fish consumption have long been recognized. Since 1950, only three known fatalities have occurred in the United States, all in Florida. The earliest cases reported to the CDC involved poisonings in Florida during the mid-1970s. Cases of fugu poisoning are sporadically diagnosed, but many more are not recognized or reported. Tetrodotoxin has been detected in pufferfish throughout the Pacific Ocean and the Baja California coastal region. waters, such as the Gulf of Mexico, may also be toxic. ![]() All of the fish came from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Titusville, Florida. All persons recovered from the poisonings. Between January 1 and April 1, 2002, at least 10 cases of fugu poisoning were reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. The fugu and related species may contain a tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent neurotoxin and one of the most toxic substances known, which produces critical illness and often death. Descriptionįugu, also known as puffer fish, blowfish, or globefish, has long been a food delicacy in Japan, but has only been introduced in the United States in the last 30-40 years. ![]() A full fugu meal typically starts at $100 USD, but people are often willing to pay much higher for the assurance of the fugu chef license.Fugu poisoning occurs when a person eats the flesh of a fugu, also known as a puffer fish, which contains lethal toxins. You must have a special license to serve fugu, and the training itself takes a minimum of two years. Tokyo and Osaka contain some of the best fugu restaurants in Japan, and therefore some of most highly skilled chefs. Although accidental deaths do happen from eating fugu, they are very rare in Japan today, and most occur from amateur fishers who attempt to prepare the fish for themselves.Īlthough many would consider this a crazy endeavour, the danger makes it all the more exciting for many people. Afterwards, the chef will dispose of the poisonous parts of the fish in a sealed and locked container where it will eventually be burned. Proper preparation is critical to ensure that no poison has contaminated the thin slices, typically served as sashimi. If ingested, it causes numbness around the mouth followed by paralysis, which leads to a rapid death. In fact, a single fugu fish has enough poison to kill 30 people. The poison (tetrodotoxin) is contained in the intestines, liver, andovaries of the fish, and can be up to 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide. There are over 100 species of poisonous fugu world-wide, and many are sold in Japanese restaurants as a luxury dish. Fugu, or blowfish, is one of these delicacies. Japan is well known for its unique and delicious food, however many people don’t know just how unique some meals can be. ![]()
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