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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Health agency’s findings confirm food poisoning
By Jay Dooma Balnig
THE Department of Health concurred with the presumption of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar) that the Great Barracuda that poisoned 33 (not 31 as earlier reporter) persons, was contaminated with a toxin.
Dr. Glenn Alonsabe, chief of health office’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit made the statement Tuesday.
The fish was sold to six households in Calumpang, Arevalo from a Mario Mabaquiao, a vendor in the public market, who bought it from a fish broker at the Iloilo Fishing Port Complex.
The victims are still confined at the Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital and Saint Paul’s Hospital and they are being supervised by Dr. Edgar Portigo and Dr. Henry Gonzalez respectively.
Alonsabe asserted that based on the symptoms and signs from the victims, the fish they ate was contaminated. The victims complained of dizziness and joint pains.
However, the DOH is also waiting for the official result of the examination by the Bfar national office.
The Bfar Regional Office's Fish Laboratory has forwarded through Air Philippines last Monday the specimen of the fish to their central office for a thorough examination.
Speculations
Many speculations cropped up after the poisoning incident. Mabaquiao suspected that the courier may have placed the fishes in a toxic material or substance during handling.
Erwin Javier, officer-in-charge of Bfar 6, earlier said that the fish may have eaten something that was contaminated in its seabed prior to its capture.
(August 9, 2006 issue)
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