BFAR issues warning on poisonous crabs

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region II warned coastal residents against catching a poisonous crab variety that has killed two children last week.

According to Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, two children died after eating a poisonous crab known as Zosimus aeneus or devil reef crab in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.

“Isa po siyang nakakalason na crab. Nagtataglay ito ng mga toxins, for example, neurotoxins, mayroon siya saxitoxin which is kapag nakain itong crab na ito ay talagang magdudulot po ng food poisoning,” BFAR Region II officer-in-charge Dr. Jefferson Soriano said.

“Base kasi sa sinubmit sa ating samples, maaaring itong species na ito ay naihalo doon sa mga nakuha nila so hindi nila na-identify, na-distinguish itong crab na ito which is poisonous,” he added.

Soriano said the case of the two children is already the second food poisoning case related to the consumption of seafoods in Sta. Ana town.

“The last time is ‘yong ‘buging’ which is isang klase ng goby fish naman which is pareho lang silang nagtataglay ng lason,” he said.

BFAR said the devil reef crab’s poison can kill an individual in a matter of hours.

Among the signs an individual will feel after eating the poisonous crab are the following:

• numbness of the tongue
• paralysis of hands and feet
• difficulty in breathing

-- Ma. Angelica Garcia/BAP, GMA News