Toxic: The cause of strange disease in Indonosia

The mysterious death of 10 Indonesians last month is thought to be caused by poisonous bacteria in food .

From July 22 until now, in addition to the number of people died, there are 23 people in Kanigoro village, Magelang district of central Java also suffered from this strange deadly disease. That made the authorities confused. People suffer from leaving the village.

According to Nyoman Kandun, director of the Indonesian Ministry of Health's infectious disease control, most victims ate a cheap local dish sold on the roadside on July 21. That local dish called tempe gembus is made from soybean residue (soybean), a product of tofu processing. This soybean residue is fermented in banana leaf wrap.

Indonesian tofu shop in a market in Jakarta (Photo: AFP)

Kandun said: 'There are many signs that the victims have died of a poison that many people believe is a bongkrekic acid created by the bacterium Pseudomonas cocovenenans'.

Kandun said the bacteria often reside in fermented coconut. However, the reason why this dish is so infected is still unknown. He said: 'There is no final conclusion yet but it is very likely that those deaths are related to tempe gembus'.

The authorities are still researching, whether this type of poison comes from water contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals in the area.

According to Mr. Kandun, 14 people are still hospitalized.

Minh Minh