Food poisoning from poisonous plants and animals, Sisaket Province, 1997-2015

Abstract

Introduction: Food poisoning in Sisaket Province, commonly found in clusters of patients, was caused by a variety of causes, including eating poisonous plants or animals. The clinical manifestations of the disease ranged from mild to severe illness leading to death. This study was conducted to determine epidemiological characteristics of food poisoning caused by poisonous plants and animals for further appropriate prevention and control.
Methods: A descriptive study was conducted by reviewing investigation of food poisoning caused by eating poisonous plants or animals in Sisaket Province between 1997 and 2015. Frequency, percentage, ratio and rate were used to present the results of analysis.
Results: During 1997-2015, there were a total of 68 events involving 532 cases of food poisoning and 23 deaths. The case-fatality rate was 4.32%. The most common cause of the food poisoning cases was by eating poisonous mushrooms (233 cases), followed by eating seeds of Jatropha curcas L. (163 cases), wild yams (61 cases), freshwater puffer fish (42 cases) and yam seeds of Pachyrhizus erosus L. (11 cases). The most common cause of food poisoning deaths was by eating poisonous mushrooms (13 deaths), followed by eating freshwater puffer fish (4 deaths), cassava (2 deaths) and yam seeds of Pachyrhizus erosus L. (2 deaths). Seeds of Jatropha curcas L., Hura crepitans L. and Abrus precalorius L. were poisonous plants or animals causing food poisoning in children. Food preparations without proper knowledge of poisonous plants or animals were reported in 74% of the events, such as cooking poisonous mushrooms and consumption of uncooked cassava containing high cyanide level. The remaining 25% was occurred since people were curious and consumed the plant seeds, such as Jatropha curcas L., Abrus precalorius L., and Pachyrhizus erosus L., and most of them were boys
Conclusion: Food poisoning from poisonous plants and animal in Sisaket Province could occur each year and in clusters of cases. The majority of them were caused by food preparations without proper knowledge of poisonous plants or animals. Some poisonous plants and animals could cause severe illness leading to death. It is essential for the local administration organizations, schools/education institutes, health care centers and communities to participate in solving these problems by educating people about the toxicity of poisonous plants and animals in the areas, educating health care personnel about the preliminary management of the victims and provision of efficient referral system for further rapid treatment since some poisonous plants and animals are very toxic and can result in deaths.