An 84-year-old man in Kluang, Johor who suffered food poisoning after eating pufferfish on Mar 25 died on Saturday (Apr 8).
According to state news agency Bernama, Johor Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the man was the spouse of an 83-year-old woman who died after they ate the fish.
Mr Ling in a statement on Mar 28, said that the couple had bought the fish from an online seller on Facebook, according to Bernama.
The man’s spouse was pronounced dead at 7pm on Mar 25.
Mr Ling at the time said that their case has been classified as “food poisoning caused by pufferfish”.
“In fact, the cause of death is given as ‘food poisoning with neurological manifestation resulting in respiratory failure with cardiac dysrhythmia possibly due to ciguatera toxin or tetrodotoxin ingestion’ from the pufferfish,” he reportedly said earlier.
Mr Ling said the man was earlier transferred to a medical ward on Apr 5 in a conscious state, with the patient’s vital signs stable, although he was breathing with the aid of a respirator.
However, at about 5.20am on Saturday, the man was unresponsive while the nurse was taking care of another patient.
“Emergency assistance was provided immediately before he was pronounced dead at 6.20am,” Mr Ling said in a statement on Saturday night.
He added that the remains of the deceased have been handed over to the forensic unit before being handed over to his next of kin for funeral arrangements.