Eating sliced fragrant snails (nassarius snails) easily causes poisoning, and the state has explicitly banned their sale! What are the symptoms of poisoning after eating them?
The scientific name of the sliced fragrant snail is nassarius snail, also known as sea lion snail and little yellow snail, widely distributed in coastal areas such as Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. In recent years, cases of poisoning caused by eating sliced fragrant snails have been reported from time to time, but every year many people still “rush in one after another”. So what are the symptoms of sliced fragrant snail poisoning?
Nassarius snails are mainly distributed in coastal areas such as Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. They generally live near offshore reefs and on muddy and sandy bottoms. People who eat nassarius snails (shelled) are mostly in the southeastern coastal areas, and in Putian, Fujian, there is even a folk custom of eating snails to celebrate festivals. They mainly live near the mud and sand flats and reefs by the inshore sea. Around the Dragon Boat Festival each year, this kind of snail grows to maturity.
Poisoning symptoms appear one hour after eating
At past 11 p.m. on July 8, the Emergency Medical Center of Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital admitted such a patient. A 26-year-old young woman surnamed Zhao had eaten sliced fragrant snails several times without any problem, so she felt it was very safe, but unexpectedly this time she was poisoned.
“I have eaten this kind of snail a few times before, and neither my friends nor I had any problem.” Zhao said that when she was dining out with a few friends that evening, she did not think much about it and, as usual, ordered a portion of sliced fragrant snails. The group drank a little liquor, ate the fragrant snails, and chatted very happily. Unexpectedly, about one hour after eating, Zhao suddenly developed symptoms such as numbness in the hands, nausea, dizziness and itching all over the body.
Zhao, who was “caught” for the first time, quickly searched online, and after comparing, found that she had exactly the typical symptoms of “sliced fragrant snail poisoning”. Accompanied by friends, Zhao rushed overnight to the Emergency Medical Center of Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital for treatment. After a detailed examination, Zhao was finally diagnosed with sliced fragrant snail poisoning. Fortunately, after a series of emergency treatments such as gastric lavage, catharsis and fluid replacement, she is now out of danger.
Symptoms of sliced fragrant snail poisoning
Sliced fragrant snail poisoning is mainly caused by shellfish neuroparalytic toxin, which can block the conduction of nerve impulses in nerve and skeletal muscle cells and damage the human nervous system. After eating, it can cause poisoning symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, numbness of the lips and fingers, and gastrointestinal pain. More severe poisoning can cause respiratory paralysis, and if not rescued in time, it may even lead to death from respiratory paralysis. The incubation period is as short as 5 minutes and as long as 4 hours, the mortality rate is extremely high, and there is currently no specific antidote for treatment.
There is currently no specific antidote
Wang Houxing, deputy director of the Emergency Medical Center of Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, introduced that sliced fragrant snail, whose scientific name is nassarius snail, causes poisoning mainly through shellfish neuroparalytic toxin, damaging the human nervous system, and more severe poisoning can cause respiratory paralysis. If rescue is not timely, it may even lead to death from respiratory paralysis. The mortality rate is extremely high, and there is currently no specific antidote for treatment.
He reminded the public never to risk their lives eating poisonous snails. If they have already eaten them, once early poisoning symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and stinging or numbness around the lips, gums and tongue appear within a short time, they should immediately go to the hospital, explain the situation and receive treatment.
It is introduced that the state has explicitly prohibited any food production or business unit from purchasing, processing and selling sliced fragrant snails. If consumers find any, please promptly call 12331 to report it.