Two Villagers Dead after Eating Grilled Toad in Nan Province

[misskit]

NAN – Two elderly men have died and a third fell sick after eating grilled toad meat, while two children became ill after eating a chicken cooked beside it, in Thung Chang district of Nan Province on Sunday night.

Public health officials of Thung Chang district went to a house in Pradu village on Monday morning to collect the remainder of the toad meat for examination after hearing of the deaths.

Yod Siangkong, an assistant village headman, said a 70-year-old man had grilled a big frog he caught in the rain last night. After the toad was done, he invited another man of the same age and a 45-year-old neighbour to join him in enjoying the snack and drinking liquor.

About an hour later the man who found and cooked the toad developed breathing problems, vomited, fell unconscious and died shortly afterward. The other elderly man developed the same symptoms. He was rushed to Thung Chang Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 45-year-old, who said he ate only a small piece of the toad meat and some of its eggs with the liquor, vomited and suffered from stomachache throughout the night.

Two children, aged 4 and 5, also fell sick after eating chicken which was cooked on the same grill as the toad. It was believed the chicken was contaminated with the poison from the toad’s glands. They were admitted to Thung Chang Hospital.

Dr Nipon Pattanakijruang, chief of the Nan public health office, said two poisons – bufotenine and bufotoxin – are usually found in glands under the skin of a toad, and in its eggs, intestines and blood. These poisons cannot be neutralised by heat.

People who eat toad meat or their eggs and become sick should be made to vomit and rushed to hospital as soon as possible, he said.

The poisons normally protect the toads from predators, which learn to leave them alone. Grilled frog is a common snack in parts of Thailand.

Two Villagers Dead after Eating Grilled Toad in Nan Province, Thailand | Chiang Rai Times English Language Newspaper

[wasabi]

Blimey they croaked it, from toad poison.

[barrylad66]

Probably ate the rarebit

[Maanaam]

Down south, here, they always skin the frogs. These are large, bumpy-skinned creatures, so maybe they're toads and skinning them removes any poison.
I had skin-on bbq'ed frog in Viet Nam, and the crispy skin was delicious.

It must be a very potent poison for it to have contaminated the grill and the next bits of meat to be cooked. Shocking.

[tdar]

Breathing problems, must of had a frog in his throat.

[BobR]

Sad when someone doing something innocent dies by making a simple mistake. RIP

[Dragonfly94]

Eating animals is not innocent, serve 'em right.

[Kurgen]

It must be a very potent poison for it to have contaminated the grill and the next bits of meat to be cooked.

maybe it jumped over

[fishlocker]

Sad when someone doing something innocent dies by making a simple mistake. RIP

Sad that nobody toad em. RIP really improperly prepared.

[Gazza]

Simply rivet-rivet-riveting news.

Two 70yo guys that didn't know that that particular species was poisonous? Hard to swall...er..believe.

[kmart]

Eating animals is not innocent, serve 'em right.

Yep. Should have given them to some soi dogs, eh?

[Pragmatic]

70+ years old and they make a mistake? These men would definitely know the difference in what, and what not, to eat.

[stroller]

Dementia?

[kmart]

he invited another man of the same age and a 45-year-old neighbour to join him in enjoying the snack and drinking liquor.

Drunk.
You'll eat anything after you've had a few, eh?

[thaimeme]

70+ years old and they make a mistake? These men would definitely know the difference in what, and what not, to eat.

Surprised, in general, as most locals are aware of what toads are eatable and the variety that aren't.

Guess not in this case.

[wasabi]

Well the TD sleuthes have opened up another cold case, was it murder or suicide?

[hallelujah]

70+ years old and they make a mistake? These men would definitely know the difference in what, and what not, to eat.

Surprised, in general, as most locals are aware of what toads are eatable and the variety that aren't.

Guess not in this case.

If you're civilised, none of them are edible.

[Dragonfly94]

I have bought toads before from the market and set 'em free in the klong, that might have killed them though

[hallelujah]

I have bought toads before from the market and set 'em free in the klong, that might have killed them though

You did the right thing. One wouldn't wish to Kermit to any other course of action.

Talking of toads: hi, Thaimeme!

[Dillinger]

Here toaday, gone tomorrow

[Dragonfly94]

2008

The Royal Thai Ministry of Public Health has warned consumers not to use toads in cooking because the poisons present in toads are not removed by high heat in cooking. As well, the Ministry has reiterated to the public that there is no scientific evidence present to support the widely-held belief that use of toads in food can cure diseases.

Dr. Yach Boonyuangwirote, Thailand's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, stated that use of toads as a sidedish when drinking alcohol or beer is an extremely dangerous matter and that each year there are several deaths reported because of this practice. He said that toads are poisonous and that in their poison is a white mucus-like substance called "toad resin," and in addition, the parts of a toad - skin, blood, organs and eggs - all carry poisons.

The doctor indicated that these were all dangerous, especially as when made into food the poisons impact the working of the heart, including heart pressure and heartbeat. As well, the poisons in toads are resistant to heat, so the public is warned. Those who hold the belief that toads can increease scrength or cure diseases are wrong and taking extremely dangerous chances in consuming the poisonous toad.

Khorat Post

[hallelujah]

2008

The Royal Thai Ministry of Public Health has warned consumers not to use toads in cooking because the poisons present in toads are not removed by high heat in cooking. As well, the Ministry has reiterated to the public that there is no scientific evidence present to support the widely-held belief that use of toads in food can cure diseases.

Dr. Yach Boonyuangwirote, Thailand's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, stated that use of toads as a sidedish when drinking alcohol or beer is an extremely dangerous matter and that each year there are several deaths reported because of this practice. He said that toads are poisonous and that in their poison is a white mucus-like substance called "toad resin," and in addition, the parts of a toad - skin, blood, organs and eggs - all carry poisons.

The doctor indicated that these were all dangerous, especially as when made into food the poisons impact the working of the heart, including heart pressure and heartbeat. As well, the poisons in toads are resistant to heat, so the public is warned. Those who hold the belief that toads can increease scrength or cure diseases are wrong and taking extremely dangerous chances in consuming the poisonous toad.

Khorat Post

You'd think that our Thai friends might baulk at consuming something that secretes poison from its skin and smells like Thaimeme's sweaty ballsack after a long day hunting in the khlongs, ditches and sewers for his dinner.

Bu, no, of course not. Fry it with some chili, crack open the lao khao and all will be fine.

The mind boggles.

[wasabi]

Well that's solved it then, the frogs should have been cooked with chillies and that along with beer makes it safe.
Now thanks for enlightening Me on the ballsack being coated in klong aroma explains why Mary is happy to Handel My balls in any condition.

[ENT]

Idiot should have known the difference between a toad and a frog.

Frogs are long legged, long tongued and don't have a warty looking skin, the warts contain the poison, which oozes out when the toad's upset.

Frogs are smooth skinned and edible, quite tasty.

[stroller]

Toads are edible as well, unless one is an ignorant falang siwalai or a 70-year-old drunk suffering from dementia & bad eyesight.