9 Dead, 78 Hospitalised After Consuming Sea Turtle Meat In Zanzibar

In a shocking piece of news from Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, a semi-autonomous region of the East African nation of Tanzania, as many as nine people died after eating sea turtle meat. While the number of deceased includes eight children and also an adult, around 78 other people have been hospitalised for the same reasons. According to an Associated Press report, the victims died from chelonitoxism, a type of food poisoning that comes only from consuming sea turtle meat, which is considered a delicacy in several parts of the world.

As stated by the National Library of Medicine, chelonitoxism is a rare and sometimes fatal form of food poisoning caused by eating marine turtles. Studies have also shown that all parts of the sea turtle are potentially toxic. Consuming such meat can cause symptoms like nausea and vomiting to more severe forms of neurologic manifestations, coma, and ultimately death.

Meanwhile, the Turtle Foundation says that food poisoning due to sea turtle meat can have the worst impact on children and older people, while healthier adults can also succumb to the same. It is believed that the symptoms could be linked to poisonous algae which the turtles eat.

Speaking on the same, Dr Haji Bakari, Mkoani District medical officer said that the adult who died was the mother of one of the children who also passed away after eating the meat. He also shared that laboratory tests have confirmed that all the victims had consumed sea turtle meat before their deaths.

In the face of the tragic deaths, the authorities in Zanzibar have a disaster management team to make necessary changes to urge people to avoid the consumption of sea turtles.

Deaths reports due to sea turtle meat

Notably, this is not the first time such an incident has taken place. Earlier in November 2021, seven people, including three year old, died due to consuming sea turtle meat. Before that in March, 19 people including nine children passed away due to consuming turtle meat. Similar cases have been also reported from Indonesia, Micronesia, and India’s Indian Ocean islands, stated a BBC report.

The local governments have also outlawed the consumption of turtles in several regions.