Thread: NZ woman in Thailand food poisoning death

NZ woman in Thailand food poisoning death



A New Zealand woman on holiday has died after reportedly contracting food poisoning.
The woman had died and two travelling companions were being treated in a hospital in the northern city of Chiang Mai, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said.
The New Zealand embassy in Bangkok was in contact with the family of the deceased, which had travelled to Thailand.
The families of the two in hospital were also in Thailand and did not want details about their condition or identity released, the spokeswoman said.

Be carefull where you eat

This may not be the case here, but it probably was. I often laugh when I hear about the back packer crowd and their affinity for eating street food. Apparently some have not figured out that most of the people who sell street food in Thailand are those who cannot find any other kind of employment, and they do not even know or follow the basic sanitation rules we learned from our mothers or in school, nor do they care. That's the kind of adventure I do not need.

Not wishing to rain on your parade Bob, but most of the serious food poisoning I'm aware of does not come from the street vendors- mainly because they turn over their stock pretty fast. It's from restaurants that hold stock too long, or bad seafood- shellfish especially. I'm sure hygiene standards here are nowt to write home about, but thats relative too- they're still miles ahead of Cambo, Indon, Nepal & India. There was a big campaign to improve them in Thailand some years back, which appears to have helped a lot.

I hope more details come out about this- with three of them down, it should be possible to find out what they contracted, how, and where.

HOLIDAY TRAGEDY: Sarah Carter.




A Wellington woman's overseas holiday with girlfriends has ended in tragedy, after she died from eating toxic seaweed while in Thailand on Waitangi Day.
Sarah Katherine Carter's devastated father today paid tribute to his 23-year-old daughter, saying ''she touched the hearts of everyone she knew''.
Sarah and her two female friends were taken ill after eating at a food market in Chiang Mai, on Friday.
The trio were taken to hospital with food poisoning, but Sarah and one other friend were particularly badly hit.
Richard Carter said he and his wife, Anne, got a call from the Chang Mai Ram Hospital on Friday, saying their daughter was ill.
''We spoke with her about 10pm that night and it appeared to be just bad food poisoning. She appeared withdrawn and not sounding that good but seemed all right.
''And we just said, oh yeah, 'well have a good night's sleep and you should be fine in the morning, you should be all clear'.
''But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart.''
Mr Carter said Sarah's heart was functioning at only 10 per cent ability but she struggled on and survived the night.
The next morning her mother flew out to be with their daughter.
''I managed to get a few calls to Sarah in the meantime but she had all this stuff down her throat and she couldn't talk to me.
''She passed away that night, 3.30am Thailand time on Sunday.''
Carter said his wife was in transit at Bangkok Airport when Sarah died and he had to call and tell her the news.
''It's horrible. It's pretty tough, we're struggling through it.
''You have to accept it the best we can, but it's not easy.''
The Carters were expecting their daughter's body to be returned home on Friday and funeral services were being planned in Auckland and Wellington.
Mr Carter said Sarah, who was born and bred in Auckland, had graduated from Victoria University in Wellington and had been working for the past year at the accounting firm BDO Spicers.
He said the trip to Thailand was Sarah's first proper holiday overseas.
''She'd gone to Australia but this was a proper three-week trip overseas.''
Mr Carter said Sarah was the eldest of three children, with a 19-year-old brother and 17-year-old sister.
Sarah's two friends were recovering and expected to be OK. Their parents had also flown over to be with them.
Mr Carter said his daughter was a ''very lovely girl''.

Awful. 'Toxic seaweed'? Or bacteria infested?

might mean toxic gas- hydrogen sulphide ? apparently sea weed can give it off ,,

rip= such a lovely person too

Thailand: Scientists link toxic seaweed with climate

Five people fall sick after eating sea bass

Source: Copyright 2007, Bangkok Post
Date: October 1, 2007
Byline: Apinya Wipatayotin
Original URL: Status DEAD




Doctors and biologists are investigating a link between global warming and a poisonous seaweed that is harmful to human health. Studies were launched after five people were hospitalised in the past three months after eating sea bass.

Doctors suspected the fish was contaminated with a toxic substance found in some seaweed species.

Thiravat Hemachudha, director of Chulalongkorn Hospital's molecular biology centre for neurological diseases, said symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle weakness and paralysis.

Doctors ruled out the possibility that the ailment was caused by a toxin from a poisonous toadfish, widely sold in the market and grilled-food restaurants.

Dr Thiravat assumed that the symptoms were caused by the ciguatera toxin, which can be found in certain kinds of seaweed.

''The case is extraordinary and rare in Thailand. An in-depth study into the cause is urgently needed,'' he told a seminar on global warming, held recently by the National Economic and Social Advisory Council.

Poisonous seaweed grows rapidly when sea water warms up.

Fish eat the poisonous seaweed and later the contaminated fish are served on the table. The toxins are passed on to people eating them.

Dr Thiravat also urged state agencies to look into a link between global warming and the spread of poisonous seaweed strains in Thai waters.

All five patients have now been discharged from hospital.

Kamnuan Ungchusak, director of the Epidemiology Bureau at the Ministry of Public Health, said few cases of people being poisoned by the ciguatera toxin have been recorded here.

It was unusual to have five cases in only three months.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that acid levels in the ocean will increase in the next 40 years as a result of rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Certain kinds of marine animals will be affected by rising concentration of acids in the sea.

Meanwhile, Anond Snidvongs, director of Start, a regional climate research agency, said that as sea levels rise as a result of global warming, Thailand will have to confront heavy floods, particularly in coastal provinces including Samut Prakan, Chanthaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phatthalung.

In terms of economic loss, the country would have to spend over $700 million (22.25 billion baht) a year to deal with climate change-related problems.

In an Abac Poll released yesterday most people said they need more information about global warming and how to cope with the problem.

Almost 80% of respondents said state agencies should be responsible for educating the public.

probably ,more to do with nitrates polluting the water from intensive agriculture. than global warming



Fumes from rotting seaweed on France's northern beaches could kill - Times Online

The worst cases of food poisoning that I have ever had around the world have been from 5 star hotels especially in India I'v been out of it for 3 days one time

I have seen a lot of people getting food poisoning recently in restaurants and in the streets, it's getting worse, not better

many moons ago went to the P.I.with sum mates they all ate at the hotel i ate anywhere and i was the only one who didn't get crook.i would eat shit sandwichs except i don't like bread.

more on condition of one of the other young women involved from today's New Zealand Herald

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said her friends were being treated in a hospital.

One Amanda Eliason, 24, was in intensive care recovering from emergency heart surgery, Radio New Zealand reported.

Her grandmother Val Eliason said the trio had been travelling in Vietnam and Thailand.

Ms Eliason's condition was improving, she said.

Poor kids, fist major trip OS and they strike this problem.
RIP Sarah and condolences to her friends and family.

Thats shit she should die from eating something they couldn't save her life.

I hope they can find the kvnts that sold the food.

I hope we get to hear how she died and what off

If the Thais know this is in the food chain, why aren't they doing anything to try and educate people or eliminate it?

Oh that's right, because they're c**ts.

Originally Posted by blue

''But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart.''
Mr Carter said

Granted the mother's medical terminology is somewhat lacking, but once she is in the hospital it seems as if the doctors should have been able to get her stable. Wonder if medical malpractice was also involved?

^^You're sounding increasingly bitter.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Oh that's right, because they're c**ts.

You tell them Harry.

Originally Posted by sabang

Awful. 'Toxic seaweed'? Or bacteria infested?

Horrible way to die as well, she would of been shitting and spewing like a mad man.

Fok.

More info on the poisoning death

Seaweed victim's emergency heart surgery



Last updated 10:10 09/02/2011


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TOXIC MEAL: Amanda Eliason, right, is in intensive care after heart surgery. Emma Langlands, left, was less seriously ill after eating a different meal.

HOLIDAY TRAGEDY: Sarah Carter died after eating toxic seaweed meal.

The friend of a Wellington woman who died after eating toxic seaweed is slowly recovering after requiring emergency heart surgery in Thailand, her family says.
Amanda Eliason, 24, and Sarah Carter, 23, became ill on Friday after eating seaweed they bought from a food market in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.
Ms Carter died at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital on Sunday morning. A third friend, Emma Langlands, 23, who ordered a different meal, also suffered food poisoning but is not seriously ill.
Ms Eliason's parents, Peter and Kay, from Kaponga, 19km southwest of Stratford, flew to Thailand on Monday to be with their daughter, who is recovering from emergency heart surgery in intensive care.
"We're taking each day as it comes... they won't allow her to fly [home] until they are very sure that - because of the heart - she's very ready to fly,'' Kay Eliason told Radio New Zealand this morning.
She said doctors had taken blood samples but were still unsure what caused the illness.
Grandmother Val Eliason said Ms Eliason had successfully undergone a heart procedure to help "get her blood circulating".
"The latest when I spoke to Amanda is that she is improving and she hopes to be moved out of intensive care into a regular ward soon.
"I was surprised when I spoke to her, she was bright, she was comfortable. She said the hospital and the doctors have been wonderful. She said they had been so thorough with everything to do with her health."
Ms Eliason had been working at the Ministry of Economic Development in Wellington before going on holiday to South East Asia with her two friends.
Ms Langlands' father, Hamilton accountant Rick Langlands, said the incident had stunned everyone involved.
"No words can express how sorry we are for Sarah's family," he said.
"In a situation like this we are absolutely powerless."
His wife Margaret and son Samuel had also travelled to Thailand.
"It is just so unusual when you look at it. Emma was the least affected but was still seriously ill herself."
He expected her to be discharged from hospital within a couple of days.
"But knowing my daughter she won't want to leave Amanda. She will very likely spend time with her, even though her mother and father are now there as well."


TRIBUTES FLOW
Meanwhile, friends and family have paid tribute to the "beautiful and lovely" Ms Carter.
Ms Carter's father, Richard, said yesterday he had been told the toxin that killed his daughter was extremely rare.
"They get one death every two years, but it seems only the tourists get it, the locals are immune to it."
Mr Carter said it appeared all three women had bought meals at a "curry place" in Chiang Mai's food market.
He and his wife, Anne, got a call at their home in Auckland on Friday from the Chiang Mai Ram Hospital, saying their daughter was ill.
"We spoke with her about 10pm that night and it appeared to be just bad food poisoning. But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart."
He said her heart was functioning at only 10 per cent of its capacity but she struggled on and survived the night.
"I managed to get a few calls to Sarah in the meantime, but she had all this stuff down her throat and she couldn't talk to me."
She died on Sunday night, at 3.30am Thai time.
Mr Carter said his wife was in transit at Bangkok Airport and he had to call and tell her the news.
Ms Carter is survived by her 19-year-old brother Ryan and 17-year-old sister Nicole. The Carters were expecting their daughter's body to be returned home on Friday and funeral services were being planned in Auckland and Wellington.
Tributes to her flowed in yesterday, with friend Anna Smith saying: "Our beautiful Sez. We could not have had a more beautiful friend. You were there for all of us, even in the middle of the night with no explanation. I love you, and will miss you forever."
Ms Carter, who was raised in Auckland and attended Macleans College, graduated from Victoria University with an accountancy degree and had been working at BDO Spicer in Wellington.
The director of neurology at Chulalongkorn University Hospital in Bangkok, Thiravat Hemachudha, said the seaweed toxin was "extremely rare".
The term probably referred to the cigutera toxin, which could be found in certain types of seaweed around Thailand.
Fish, commonly sea bass or sea eels, could eat the poisonous seaweed without harm but the toxin remained inside them and could be passed on to anyone eating them.
Dr Winai Wananukul from the Poison Control Centre in Bangkok said the clinical features of Ms Carter's case suggested her death was caused by "heart dysfunction".
"Possible causes of the fatal illness include poisoning from toxic substance or toxin, infective process is not completely excluded."

Heartbreaking for all concerned.
RIP Sarah and a swift and full recovery to her friends.

Autopsy in NZ will be very revealing.

A Taranaki woman on holiday in Thailand has survived a toxic meal that killed her friend.
Twenty-four-year-old Amanda Eliason's Kaponga parents, Peter and Kay, flew to northern Thailand on Monday to be with her as she recovers in hospital.
Ms Eliason and Sarah Carter, 23, became ill after eating toxic seaweed they bought from a food market on Friday.
Ms Carter died on Sunday night.
A third friend who ordered a different dish was also taken to hospital, but was not seriously ill.
Val Eliason of New Plymouth said last night her granddaughter was in intensive care following an emergency procedure on Monday.
"It has been successful because she has made an improvement each day," Mrs Eliason said.
"They've all been very ill and it's a tragic outcome." Miss Eliason had been working at the Ministry of Economic Development in Wellington before she and her two girlfriends, all ex-Victoria University students, decided to go for a holiday through South East Asia.
Her parents first heard of the illness at 3am Saturday, Mrs Eliason said. When they received a second phone call at 8am saying it was serious they caught the next available flight.
They were by their daughter's side on Monday afternoon, she said. "I spoke to Amanda and her parents tonight and she is making steady progress."
Ms Eliason would most likely come home to Kaponga once she had recovered but that could be a while yet, she said.
"There's a long way to go."
Ms Carter's father, Richard, said yesterday he had been told the toxic seaweed that killed his daughter was extremely rare.
"They get one death every two years from that, but it seems only the tourists get it – the locals are immune to it," Mr Carter said.
He and his wife, Anne, got a call at their home in Auckland on Friday from the Chang Mai Ram Hospital, saying their daughter was ill.
"We spoke with her about 10pm that night and it appeared to be just bad food poisoning. But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart."
Her heart was functioning at only 10 per cent of its ability but she struggled on and survived the night, he said.
"I managed to get a few calls to Sarah in the meantime, but she had all this stuff down her throat and she couldn't talk to me."
Mr Carter said his wife was in transit at Bangkok Airport and he had to call and tell her the news.
The Carters were expecting their daughter's body to be returned home on Friday and funeral services were being planned in Auckland and Wellington.
-Taranaki Daily News and Fairfax

Woman's death not from toxic seaweed says family
Wednesday February 09, 2011


Sarah Carter - Source: Facebook

The family of a young woman who died from probable food poisoning in Thailand has spoken out about their daughter today.

Twenty-three-year-old Sarah Carter was on a trip of a lifetime with two other young Kiwi women, having their OE.

Sarah died in Chiang Mai after eating at a food market four days into the trip, and her two friends also fell ill.

Initital reports indicating toxic seaweed was to blame are now being discounted by the families, but investigations are ongoing.

The Carter family told ONE News Sarah had the world at her feet, and wanted to start her trip in Thailand after having just graduated from university.

"[Sarah] touched the hearts of all the people that she came in contact with, truly remarkable girl, we were just so proud of her achievements," said father Richard Carter.

Sarah called her parents the night she fell ill to reassure them she was okay.

But within an hour of that phone call, the toxin spread rapidly to her heart and killed her shortly afterwards.

"It appeared to be just bad food poisoning. She appeared withdrawn and not sounding that good, but seemed all right. But within an hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart and strangled her heart," Richard said.

An Aucklander, Sarah studied chemistry at Victoria University and had been working at Wellington accounting firm BDO Spicers in the past year.

Sarah's boss Euan Playle said it was a tragic end for someone who "had so much going for her, both professionally and as young woman going places".

Sarah's mother was already in Thailand and her brother was on his way to support her and bring his sister's body home, a family member said yesterday.

Richard told ONE News that the family - including Sarah's siblings Ryan and Nicole - wanted to thank everyone who had made contact with them and offered support. He said the hospital had performed "magnificently".

Sarah's friend Amanda Eliason, 24, from Kaponga in Taranaki, underwent emergency surgery on Saturday as the toxin attacked her heart. She has now been discharged.

Her parents, Peter and Kay flew to Thailand on Monday to be with their daughter.

"The balloon pump that was attached to her heart has now been removed and the cardiologist is now happy that she has no permanent damage to her heart," said Kay Eliason.

"We have our daughters, so we're the lucky ones really," she said.

Amanda had been working at the Ministry of Economic Development in Wellington before going on holiday.

A third friend, Emma Langlands, 23, who ordered a different meal, also suffered food poisoning but was not seriously ill.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has no plans to issue a travel warning about food dangers in Thailand.

New Zealand embassy staff in Thailand are now helping bring Sarah's body home. Memorial services are planned in Auckland and Wellington this weekend.

- with NZPA

tvnz.co.nz

"Twenty-three-year-old Sarah Carter was on a trip of a lifetime"

This type of dribble does not belong in journalism. A simple explanation would also be nice; is this sea weed inherently toxic meaning whoever sold it to her is responsible for her death, or is this a bad batch of something that is usually ok to eat, or was it likely mishandled?
Anyone who got a B or better in High School Journalism would write a better article than this.

liberals / gays have taken over journalism in the western countries ,as are not that bright ,and usually lazy too , it's no surprise thier articles don't shine either.
Is seaweed a regular addition to Thai food ? ,Thought it was a Japanese thing .