9 useless, 78 hospitalised after consuming sea turtle meat in Zanzibar

Eight youngsters and an grownup died after consuming sea turtle meat on Pemba Island within the Zanzibar archipelago and 78 different individuals have been hospitalised, authorities mentioned Saturday.

Sea turtle meat is taken into account a delicacy by Zanzibar’s individuals despite the fact that it periodically leads to deaths from chelonitoxism, a sort of meals poisoning.

The grownup who died late Friday was the mom of one of many youngsters who succumbed earlier, mentioned the Mkoani District medical officer, Dr. Haji Bakari. He mentioned the turtle meat was consumed on Tuesday.

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Bakari instructed The Related Press that laboratory checks had confirmed all of the victims had eaten sea turtle meat.

Authorities in Zanzibar, which is a semi-autonomous area of the East African nation of Tanzania, despatched a catastrophe administration staff led by Hamza Hassan Juma, who urged individuals to keep away from consuming sea turtles.

In November 2021, seven individuals, together with a 3-year-old individual, died on Pemba after consuming turtle meat, whereas three others have been hospitalised.