Eight kids and one grown-up perished from consuming sea turtle flesh on Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago. Officials announced on Saturday that 78 more individuals have been transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
Turtle meat is highly prized in Zanzibar, but its consumption can sometimes lead to fatalities due to chelonitoxism, a form of food poisoning.
On Friday, the mother of one of the children who passed away earlier was reported to have died. According to Dr. Haji Bakari, the medical officer of Mkoani district, the turtle meat was eaten on Tuesday.
According to Bakari’s statement to the Associated Press, laboratory tests confirmed that the victims had consumed sea turtle meat.
Officials in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous area of Tanzania in East Africa, dispatched a disaster response team that advised individuals to refrain from consuming sea turtles.
In November of 2021, seven individuals, including a three-year-old child, passed away on Pemba island after consuming turtle meat. Additionally, three others were admitted to the hospital.
Source: theguardian.com
