Eating toxic fish as 'gift' becomes last meal for Brazilian man

A Brazilian man lost his life after eating a highly poisonous pufferfish — capable of killing 30 humans with its toxicities — in Aracruz, Espirito Santa that he received from his unknown friend, reported the New York Post.

The sister of the deceased the 46-year-old man was quoted in the report as saying: "Magno had never cleaned pufferfish before." 

Reports indicate that several species of pufferfish are found in the Brazilian city of Espirito Santa. This venomous fish is also called blowfish.

After Magno received the fish which he never handled earlier before, he cooked it and ate it with his friend. The effects of the poison started to emerge as he and his friend started feeling ill in less than an hour. “Magno started to feel numb in his mouth,” his sister stated.

Magno after feeling ill, promptly drove to the hospital but the numbness spread and he suffered cardiac arrest for 8 minutes.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, the Brazilian was experiencing tetrodotoxin, a powerful poison that originates in the liver and gonads of pufferfish and other marine species. This toxic material does not have any antidote.

After being eaten in large quantities, it starts to affect the “transmission of signals from nerves to muscles” and paralyzes the muscles, leading to death.

His sister further revealed that her brother was intubated and put on life support but to no avail.

Magno passed away on January 27 after spending 35 days in the hospital, during which his system was paralyzed by the toxin.

"The doctors told our family that he died from poisoning, which had quickly traveled to his head," she noted adding that "three days after being admitted, he had several seizures, which greatly affected his brain, leaving little chance of recovery."

On the other hand, his friend survived, however, having trouble with his legs. Myrian said: "He’s not walking very well. He was neurologically impacted, but he is recovering."