Food Poisoning in the Phillipines

[jesskali]

There was an article in our local paper today about 29 children dying from food poisoning in the Phillipines after eating fried cassava balls. Cassava is a root that grows in tropical areas. If eaten raw, your body turns it into cyanide. 35 more children are in critical condition. Some of the children said that they took 2 bites and it tasted bitter and then symptoms of stomach pain/v/d started within 5-10 minutes! The vendor who sold the cassava balls insisted there was nothing wrong with them and after eating a few herself, she is now in critical condition also.

This was really amazing to me since I didn't even know what cassava was and now to know that it can cause food poisoning. The children seemed to die pretty quick, so I'm wondering how they are treating the ones that are still living.

[spilled_milk]

Oh that is so sad!!! Those poor children didn't even know what was happening!!! I wonder how they are treating them also...cyanide??? I wonder how you treat that. [img]smileys/smilies_16.gif[/img]I'm going to think about them for the next few days. Since those are so dangerous, the street vendor really should have been more careful!!! I feel horrible for all those children...


<3 Anya--

[jennyleigh1975]

Gosh, that is so horrible. So horrible for those children to be going through.

[kate1966]

My co worker was telling me about that...it's horrendus to even think about...I just have to imagine my own children in that and all I can do is cry for them...I had never heard of that either....the type of food it is.....it's strange to me...but it's just awful and I know their families are devastated...Kat

[jptk]

Thats nasty! i cant believe the vendor would sell something exotic without checking it out first. thats very odd the way your body turns it into cyanide! Is this a common food does anyone know? when its cooked i mean?

[crazybeautiful]

What's cyanide?

[jptk]

What's cyanide?

All i know is that it is extremely poisonous. im not sure if it has any other use than to poison.

[jesskali]

Yes, cyanide is a very harmful poison that when ingested is fatal. I'm not certain of any other uses either.

[emetojackie]

Oh my gosh thats horrible those poor children

[2jo2]

I read that earlier. That's so horrible. I remember back in the 80s, some crazy person was putting cyanide randomly into bottles of Tylenol and people were getting sick. It's pretty bad stuff. [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]

[madisonsmom]

I saw that on the news last night...How sad!