Is fried cicada toxic? A young man in Ningbo went into shock after eating 20, and these people should not eat them

As the weather turns hot, crispy and delicious fried “cicadas” have been placed on the dining table, but little did anyone know that a young man almost lost his life because of them!

In the early hours of July 8, a 20-year-old young man, Xiao Xu, was taken by ambulance to the Second Hospital of Yinzhou District, Ningbo, for emergency treatment. The cause was that he had eaten 20 fried cicadas the night before. After diagnosis, Xiao Xu had anaphylactic shock caused by foreign protein, and the red rash on his body was allergic dermatitis. The allergen was precisely the fried cicadas. Fortunately, he sought treatment in time, and after anti-allergy treatment, his symptoms improved markedly and his vital signs returned to normal.

According to reports, cicadas are very rich in protein. After some people with an allergic constitution eat them, the immune system treats them as “invaders” and attacks them, releasing large amounts of specific immunoglobulin, and the body then develops an allergic reaction. Mild symptoms include rash and itching, while severe cases involve vomiting, diarrhea, anaphylactic shock, and even suffocation and death caused by laryngeal edema.

Summer is the peak season for eating cicadas, and many hospitals in Ningbo have recently treated similar patients. On the evening of the 9th, Zhejiang University Mingzhou Hospital, also located in Yinzhou District, also treated a woman in her 50s who was allergic to eating cicadas, with a whole-body red rash, difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure, and she improved after treatment.

“Food allergies often occur in people with an allergic constitution. This kind of allergy has little to do with the amount of food ingested; even if intake is very small, there is still a risk of causing severe allergies. Therefore, once there is a history of allergy to a certain food, contact with it should be avoided. Cicadas are rich in protein and are called the ‘king of protein’ among foods. In addition to cicadas, common protein allergens also include seafood, soybeans, eggs, milk, and other foods.”

Are fried cicadas toxic?

Experts: cicada nymphs have high nutritional value, but should not be eaten in large amounts

“Cicada nymphs contain many bacteria and deadly parasites in their bodies, and some even carry the highly lethal human H1N1 influenza virus; cicada nymphs live in shallow soil and easily absorb pesticide residues and heavy metals. Their lead content is 400 times that of vermicelli, and their aluminum content is 150 times that of fried dough sticks; in the middle of the cicada nymph’s belly there is a part called the bitter gland sac, equivalent to a chicken’s tail, which gathers many toxins and more than 10 kinds of heavy metals, and eating it is harmful to the body.” As cicada nymphs come onto the market, and as people happily catch cicada nymphs, such a message has been circulating on WeChat Moments, making people worry.

In response, staff at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the claim that cicada nymphs contain the highly lethal H1N1 influenza virus is not accurate. The hosts of the H1N1 virus are mainly canids, birds, and some mammals. As insects, cicada nymphs do not contain this virus. Moreover, cicada nymphs grow by sucking sap from plant roots, and the bacteria they themselves carry have not reached a level that harms the human body and can be killed by cooking. As for the claim that cicada nymphs contain heavy metals, this may be related to their growing environment and later storage to some extent. As long as residents eat fresh cicada nymphs grown in a non-polluted environment, there is generally no problem.

In addition, residents are reminded that cicada nymphs taste fresh and fragrant, and their bodies also contain rich protein, amino acids, and some trace elements, so their nutritional value is relatively high. The shells shed by cicada nymphs also have certain medicinal value, so they are very popular among residents, but they should not be eaten in large amounts, especially by people with an allergic constitution, who are prone to symptoms such as itching and vomiting after eating them, and in severe cases may even experience anaphylactic shock.