CEBU CITY – A five-year-old boy died while his parents and his five siblings were hospitalized after they ate puffer fish locally known as “butete” in Panganan Island, Lapu-Lapu City.
The victims complained of dizziness after they consumed stewed “butete” that the mother cooked last Tuesday afternoon.
Mateo Casio died at home while the other family members were hospitalized, said PO1 Loliboy Terana of the Olango Island Police Station.
Taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital in Cebu City were the boy’s father, Florencio, 38; his mother Margie, 35; and his siblings Gian,12; Miler, 10; Deric, 9; Shantol, 5; and Maria Teresa, 3.
PO1 Terana said that the butete that the family partook was the catch of Florencio last Monday night.
Margie then cooked the butete as their viand for lunch last Tuesday.
The family started vomiting and complained of dizziness after their meal.
PO1 Terana said it is common practice of most residents in the island to eat butete.
With the incident, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR 7) reiterated that it is unsafe to eat any kind of puffer fish.
Alma Saavedra, information officer of BFAR-7, said puffer fish contains tetrodotoxin, a toxic substance that can kill humans if consumed.
Tetrodotoxin can be found in the liver of puffer fish.
Saveedra said some residents continue to eat butete, claiming that it is safe consume the fish as long they are cleaned properly.
“Puffer fish is poisonous. We are advising the public not to eat the fish even if they know how to remove the toxin. Even if you clean it thoroughly, there is no guarantee that all the toxins are removed,” said Saavedra. (Calvin Cordova)