In the Mediterranean Sea, 27 people have died from consuming pufferfish

Scientists from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea have assessed the extent of the damage to human health caused by pufferfish. From 2004 to 2023, 27 people died from consuming pufferfish, while another 143 gourmets were poisoned but survived.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Mediterranean Sea is home to over 17,000 species of marine life, 20 to 30 percent of which are endemic. The Mediterranean Sea has 1,233 marine protected areas to protect both local and endemic species.

One of the invasive alien species in the Mediterranean Sea is the pufferfish.

The study titled "Impact of Invasive Pufferfish on Human Health (Attacks and Poisonings) in the Eastern Mediterranean" was conducted by scientists from Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. The results of the scientific work were published in the Biology journal.

For the first time, the study discussed cases of physical attacks, poisonings, and deaths caused by pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) and orange-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener Hypsolegeneion) in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The scientific work covers the period from June 2004 to December 2023. During the study, which recorded 198 events affecting human health, 27 deaths from consumption, 143 non-lethal poisonings, and 28 cases of physical attacks were identified and studied.

It was also noted a rapid increase in the number of registered cases, especially after 2019.

The first cases of pufferfish poisoning were registered in Lebanon and Egypt. The highest number of poisoning cases was recorded in Syria - 64 people. Meanwhile, Lebanon became the country with the highest number of pufferfish-related deaths, with 16 fatalities.

Turkey ranked second in the number of fatal poisonings by poisonous fish, with 4 fatalities, 24 non-lethal poisonings, and 8 cases of physical attacks.

Pufferfish, which contain a large amount of the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX) in their tissues, pose a danger to human health. More than 28% of the approximately 200 species of pufferfish worldwide contain TTX in quantities unsafe for human consumption. Although the low level of TTX found in pufferfish is highly effective as an analgesic, a high dose can lead to death.

According to one scientist, Aylin Ulman, there are 13 species of pufferfish known in the Mediterranean. Six of the registered species have Indo-Pacific origins, and 3 of them have the highest levels of toxicity. Red Sea species of Indo-Pacific origin reach the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.

Pufferfish, first seen in Turkish waters in 2002, began to spread to other parts of the Mediterranean in the following days. They can also be seen in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Black Sea. In recent years, they have begun to attack people swimming in the sea, although such attacks are still rare.