Nine Die from Chelonitoxism After Consuming Sea Turtle Meat in Zanzibar

The tragic incident on Pemba Island highlights the dangers of eating sea turtle meat, which can cause a rare and sometimes fatal type of food poisoning.

• Eight children and one adult died after consuming sea turtle meat on Pemba Island, part of the Zanzibar Archipelago.
• A total of 78 additional people were hospitalized due to chelonitoxism, a type of food poisoning specific to sea turtle consumption.
• Chelonitoxism can cause severe gastrointestinal, neurologic, hepatic, and renal symptoms, and there is currently no known cure or treatment.
• Authorities have sent a disaster management team to Pemba Island to discourage the consumption of sea turtle meat.
• This is not the first incident of chelonitoxism on Pemba Island; similar cases have been reported in the past, including a ban on turtle meat consumption in 2021.

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