At least 20 individuals were rushed to hospitals after suffering adverse reactions in a suspected case of fish poisoning in Barangay Malbog, Balasan, Iloilo.
Nurse Zarah Hermogenes of the Balasan Primary Healthcare Facility reported that at 3:55 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, they received information that eight people had already been hospitalized after eating bansa or giant barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) bought from the town’s public market.
She immediately alerted their municipal health officer and started an investigation.
The vendor, identified only as “Em,” confirmed that many residents had bought from her stall, including fellow vendors who also ate the same fish but did not feel ill.
However, the Balasan Rural Health Unit later discovered that the bansa may have ingested pufferfish (butete) before it was sold and cooked, raising the possibility of toxin contamination.
Samples of the fish were promptly submitted to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for laboratory testing, while medical personnel confiscated the remaining stock to prevent further sale.
Hermogenes revealed that even the vendor’s family consumed the leftover fish. Shortly after, three members of the household—her parents and a sibling—complained of chest tightness and body numbness.
Based on latest reports, 19 patients have been discharged from the hospital, while the vendor’s wife remains confined for further treatment.
Aside from the residents of Balasan, suspected cases were also recorded in Barotac Nuevo and Carles.
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office is continuing its investigation, awaiting BFAR’s official findings to determine the exact cause of the incident and to prevent similar outbreak.IMT
