Seafood poisoning at Vizhinjam restaurant linked to tetrodotoxin in fish roe

Key facts

• Food safety authorities suspect tetrodotoxin (TTX), a potent marine neurotoxin, contaminated seafood served at a Vizhinjam restaurant.
• All hospitalised patients had consumed fish roe, pinpointed as the likely source of the toxin.
• Three members of a six-member family fell seriously ill after eating seafood on the night of February 16, with two deaths reported within hours.
• A total of seven acute illness cases were reported, including two patients admitted to Government Medical College hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, and one each to two private hospitals.
• Tetrodotoxin is heat-stable, has no known antidote, and ingestion can lead to fatal paralysis.
• The fish roe served on February 16 was sourced from Muttom in Tamil Nadu on February 15 and comprised multiple species.
• Chemical analysis results of internal samples from the deceased are awaited to confirm the cause of death.