In Taipei City, two people received fish eggs sent by relatives in the south, eat some of the dizziness, mouth numbness of the symptoms of poisoning, the case was notified to the Department of Health, the remainder of the body sent to the Food and Drug Administration to analyze the food and Drug Administration confirmed that consumption to the poisonous pufferfish "ferocious rabbit dolphin" eggs, the Food and Drug Administration to call on the public, it is best to not eat unknown aquatic products, so as to avoid accidental ingestion of the poisonous.

The FDA has analyzed the eggs of the rabbit-headed dolphin and confirmed that the dolphin was poisoned by dizziness and numbness. (Photo: taken from the National Taiwan Ocean University Marine Digital Archives)

There are more than 30 species of puffer fish in Taiwan's coastal waters that contain the toxin tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that is heat-resistant and can't be destroyed by heating, and which has the highest toxicity to the liver and ovaries, followed by the skin and intestines. Although the muscles of some puffer fish are non-toxic, the viscera may be toxic, and the toxin may contaminate the fish when it is being cooked.

Tetrodotoxin poisoning usually occurs 10 to 45 minutes after eating, and common symptoms include numbness of the lips and tongue, numbness of the hands, numbness of the feet, headache, dizziness, and vomiting. In severe cases, it may lead to double vision, inability to vocalize, pupil dilation, eye muscle weakness, convulsions, drop in blood pressure, followed by muscle relaxation, diaphragm movement stops causing respiratory failure and death, the death rate is as high as 61%.

The death rate is as high as 61%.

The FDA's Research and Inspection Section Chief, Mr. Lin Xuyang, said that the "ferocious rabbit-head dolphin" is also a species of puffer fish that can be seen in Taiwan's coastal waters, and it is possible that the fishermen caught and handled the dolphin on their own and traded it privately to the public, which led to the poisoning, and fortunately the people who ate the dolphin were alert enough to the fact that the symptoms of the poisoning were relatively mild.

At present, there is no antidote for tetrodotoxin, and supportive therapy is the mainstay. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration calls on the public to start from the prevention of poisoning, do not consume aquatic products from unknown sources, and if you eat and feel paralyzed or bitter and spicy, you should spit it out immediately and rinse your mouth with water, until the discomfort disappears. If the symptoms do not improve, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and keep the food body to facilitate the correct diagnosis and treatment.