Differentiate sea and sea against poisoning

Compared to the sea is one of the species with natural toxins that can cause poisoning for humans because people mistakenly think of them with sea crabs. Poisoning by sea is common in coastal areas. When poisoned compared to the sea if not promptly emergency can cause death.

Differentiate sea and sea

Sea Sam, compared to the sea is soft-bodied crustaceans, living in the sea. In the world, the family Sam (Xiphosuridae) has 4 species, while in Vietnam there are only 2 species: sea snakes (Tachypleus tridentatus) and sea (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda).

Tachypleus tridentatus , folk called sea ​​sam (big sam). Its distribution area is coastal areas. Essential habitats are sandy strips in high tide areas. The sea-tail has the back edge , the triangle. Sam is living in pairs. Each pair of nesting sams live in a monogamous form and live together for the rest of their lives. Each pair of sam lays many eggs. After laying eggs, the cow goes elsewhere. Eggs are developed into larvae, young and mature. Sam Sam is exploited, traded and used as food. Sam sea does not cause poisoning.

Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda , folk called so called sea ​​(small sam). Its distribution area is also coastal. Essential habitats are freshwater creeks. The sea has a very sea-like shape, but is smaller than the sea and does not follow in pairs. Length of the body compared to the sea is usually about 20-25 cm (excluding the tail), the whole body is dark brown green, the tail does not have the dorsal edge , the cross section of the tail is egg or round. In the sea, there is a toxin tetrodotoxin.

Tetrodotoxins , a potent neurotoxin , are capable of causing respiratory paralysis, apnea, and rapid death with very low toxic doses. Currently there is no antidote.

Tetrodotoxin (such as toxic toxin in puffer fish) is water soluble, not destroyed by heat (cooked or dried, dried, poisonous substances still exist). The poison can decompose in strong alkaline or acidic environments. Tetrodotoxin added 0.2 to 0.3% of HCl (Hydrochloric acid) after 8 hours to decompose; or boiling (100oC), after half an hour, the toxicity is reduced by half; only completely destroy the toxicity to boil at 200oC for 10 minutes.

In Vietnam as well as in the world up to now, there have not been any cases of deadly poisoning caused by eating seaweed, but many cases of deadly poisoning due to eating sea food have been recorded. The reason is that because of the unknown sea, it contains extremely strong toxins, so it is used for processing food and some cases of misconceptions are sea.

Symptoms of poisoning due to toxins of the sea

1. Symptoms appear after eating from 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
2. General symptoms: feeling of numbness in the lips, mouth, hands, legs and around the mouth area; lethargy, drowsiness; the whole body is tired; shortness of breath, low blood pressure .

Handle poisoning

1. Detecting early signs (awake): needing the patient to drink plenty of water, finding ways to induce vomiting in the stomach as quickly as possible; quickly transfer patients to an emergency resuscitation facility (hospital). Need to bring food suspected of causing poisoning, vomit or stool to help doctors diagnose and treat faster.
2. Anti-cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological and urinary disorders by infusion, symptomatic drugs, oxygen breathing, mechanical ventilation if respiratory failure, pacemaker, diuretic, dialysis depending on the manifestations of the disease .

Note, only induce vomiting when the patient is awake and not induce vomiting if it is a child, because it is easy to choke. After vomiting, take a bottle of activated charcoal, take oresol to compensate for electrolytes.

To ensure community health, the Food Safety Department recommends:

(1) Propagate and educate, disseminate knowledge to the community in distinguishing samsara and sea in food selection. Absolutely not use the sea as food materials in any form, even if only once.

(2) Propagate education for fishermen to remove the sea when fishing and absolutely do not do business on the sea.

(3) Strengthen monitoring and control of food safety in fishing, trading and consumption of seafood.

(4) Training and training of health workers at all levels to improve the capacity of the health system in diagnosis, emergency and treatment of food poisoning caused by marine toxins.