ILOILO CITY – Twenty-six people fell ill after eating barracuda fish in Balasan, a town in northern Iloilo province.
“They are now recovering and have already been discharged from the hospital,” said Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, chief of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The fish locally known as “bansa” was purchased at the Balasan Public Market on Sunday, Aug. 24.
Quiñon said the 26 people went to the hospital after experiencing headache, numbness, rashes, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.
Health authorities are currently awaiting toxin results.
Fish samples were sent to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) by the Balasan Municipal Health Office.
“We need to know if this fish caused the food-borne disease, what toxin it had or if there were contaminants in the fish,” Quiñon said.
Health authorities urged the public to refrain from buying barracuda until BFAR has released toxin results.