On March 23, 17 of the most critically ill patients from the bamboo shoot poisoning incident in Nan Province, Thailand, were flown to Bangkok. Currently, all patients are on mechanical ventilation…
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| Rescue team accompanying patients on the flight to Bangkok. (Photo: Reuters) |
Recently, 161 villagers in Nan Province (northern Thailand) fell ill after consuming fermented bamboo shoots at a festival.
Thai health officials believe the outbreak in Nan Province was caused by improperly stored bamboo shoots, which led to the growth of the deadly Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
The toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is among the most potent toxins known and could be used as a biological weapon. This toxin is lethal because it paralyzes respiratory muscles, rendering patients unable to breathe. Patients require respiratory support to survive until their nerves recover.
Due to the overwhelming number of patients in the primary hospitals in Nan Province, the 17 most severe cases were airlifted to Bangkok for treatment on March 23.
Essentially, these 17 patients remain in critical condition. Although their blood pressure and pulse are normal, they have not yet recovered. Some are even unable to move their bodies. Doctors note that the patients’ conditions depend on the amount of toxin they ingested.
Some patients are also suffering from pneumonia, a complication of using ventilators. Many are experiencing bladder infections.
| Clostridium botulinum is a rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in improperly canned or contaminated foods. Additionally, Clostridium botulinum can also be present in undercooked foods. Typically, symptoms appear 2 to 48 hours after consuming food containing this bacteria, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, and coma. Without timely intervention, the mortality rate is extremely high. The toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the most toxic natural substance known to humankind. Even a minuscule amount in the bloodstream can paralyze respiratory muscles and lead to death within minutes. (According to Science and Life). |
A 14-year-old female patient, one of the three most severe cases being treated at Ramathibodi Hospital, is in a deep coma. She is unable to move. To reduce complications from prolonged ventilator use, doctors are considering performing a tracheostomy to insert an artificial airway in her neck.
Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, stated that if no complications arise, these patients could take up to two months to recover.
In light of this situation, health officials in Thailand have sought international expert assistance to treat the patients. Military biological weapon specialists and experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have arrived in Nan Province to investigate the outbreak.
So far, Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Pinij Jarusombat, has instructed healthcare workers in Nan Province and surrounding areas to test bamboo shoots at markets to determine if these products are contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.
Ban Luang District (Nan Province), the epicenter of the outbreak, has banned the sale and transport of canned bamboo shoots. The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand advises the public not to panic and to consume well-cooked food, ensuring bamboo shoots are boiled for 30 minutes.
According to Christopher Braden, an expert from the Atlanta Center for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is one of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in decades globally. In the 1991 outbreak, 90 individuals in Egypt fell ill after consuming food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.
Minh Thương
